Black metal – Page 237 – Wonderbox Metal

Temple of Baal – Verses of Fire (Review)

French veterans Temple of Baal offer up their fourth album to the sacrificial gods of Blackened Death Metal.

Having not heard Temple of Baal since their 2003 debut Servants of the Beast, it is an interesting transformation that the band’s sound has undergone. Originally Black Metal; now they give us a combination of both Death and Black Metal with some quite varied sub-styles and influences apparent throughout the 60 minutes on Verses of Fire.

Sometimes brutal, sometimes more laid back, always dark; songs are played at all speeds and tempos, mainly in an attempt to create a gloomy atmosphere for the listener to get absorbed in. For this release the band have emphasised the importance of a good atmosphere and have created one via rich textures of overlapping genres of Extreme Metal.

Moments of Old-School Death Metal are toyed with; elements of discordant Black Metal; Thrash riffs; Doom sections; full-on blasting – a wide sample of extremity is taken and fused into the songs on this album.

Vocals are mainly in a darkened Death Metal style, although screams and yells are used on occasion to add a splash of colour to the sinister emanations of the singer.

Verses of Fire boasts a very well produced sound that shows off everything very organically and gives a very satisfying listen. You could place this next to pretty much any band and not have it sound weak or inferior in quality.

Temple of Baal have taken a risk by changing their style from their Black Metal beginnings, and with risk comes either reward or failure. I think the risk has paid off and they have been rewarded with a much richer and more ambitious sound that will serve them well moving forward from here.

If you weren’t sure about Temple of Baal in the past, or have just been unfamiliar with them, then this is the album for you. An hour long of top quality Extreme Metal.

Tjolgtjar – Kjal Tjormejn (Review)

The highly prolific Tjolgtjar come to us from the US with the latest full-length Kjal Tjormejn.

This album contains two tracks over the length of 47 minutes. The first song Kjal Tjormejn Part 1 is only 5 minutes long and just seems to be a cut off version of the main 42 minute song Kjal Tjormejn.

This is an epic composition of strange, angular Black Metal. Riffs and melodies stick out and criss cross each other like no-one’s business, and the entire wonderful track is something akin to a Black Metal 70’s Prog masterpiece; like Mütiilation covering and corrupting Pink Floyd or something. It may sound odd on paper but it definitely works. Add to that some, (blackened), Southern Rock riffs and others that sound like they could be, (blackened), action movie soundtrack riffs, you have a varied and interesting release that’s essentially a great listen from start to finish.

The vocals have an approach of Black Metal shrieks and various cleaner strains ranging from moaning to falsetto and most in between, although the main emphasis of the album is the diverse musicality on display.

The production is underground Black Metal, and quite brittle sounding, but that sense of fragility somehow manages to enhance the music. Everything is also clearly recorded giving the inventive music the space it needs to tentatively creep out of the speakers and infect your brain. In fact this sense of a spiky, angular Black Metal sound combined with a sense of brittle fragility is quite endearing and only serves to enhance the inspired, ambitious music.

A release like this won’t be to everyone’s tastes of course, but if you are open to it there is a lot to enjoy here.

Cosmic Infusion – Cosmic Infusion (Review)

Here we have Indian Symphonic Black Metallers Cosmic Infusion with their first release, a 32 minute journey into the nightside.

From the very first couple of seconds I knew I was going to like this. It instantly has that early/mid-90’s vibe that makes me so nostalgic for the mystery and otherworldliness of Black Metal as I was first discovering its dark charms.

Giving off the same vibes as bands of this era this is instantly familiar and yet fresh and inviting as so few bands do this nowadays, and even if they do they inevitably come across as copycats or merely trying to recapture lost glories. Cosmic Infusion are better than that due to the mass of talent they have and the fact that they’re just so damn good!

Vocals are mainly the standard Black Metal shriek, (done well), but we also occasionally get treated to some heroic-sounding clean vocals which are rousing and welcome.

The music is exceptional – taking the standard 90’s blueprint of mystic guitar riffs and heavy orchestration to create hymns to blackness that really do conjure up images of black masses and Satanic rituals.

This, along with the recent Gutslit album, demonstrates a growing hotbed of talent from India. With these kinds of bands as forerunners the region deserves more recognition for services to Metal.

Cosmic Infusion have crafted an excellent first release that will hopefully prepare them well for their first album at some point in the future. Based on the strength of this EP I’ll be salivating at the prospect.

Get this.

Corpsessed – Abysmal Thresholds (Review)

After a disconcerting intro, Finnish Death Metal band Corpsessed proceed to terrify the listener with their thick and impenetrable evil sound.

Of Desolation starts things off and just oozes menace and class. Sounding like it has been transported to this plane of existence from some horrible Hell-dimension, the band proceed to channel 48 minutes of thoroughly upsetting music that uses sound as a warning of what’s lurking in the darkness.

The band evoke strong feelings of dread and fear with their songs through skilful use of dark melodies and subtle additions of Black Metal touches to their sound. Indeed, although Abysmal Thresholds is thoroughly grounded in Death Metal there are detectable influences from the Black Metal camp that serve to enhance the innate sense of wrongness and ungodliness that these songs inspire.

Corpsessed have mastered the art of atmosphere there’s no doubting that; these tracks bleed malevolence. The guitars create a foundation of unease from which the songs are moulded while the guttural vocals underscore everything and spread their darkened word.

This is more than a mere album; this is like a message from some damned, horrible place. Each song is a new word and by the end of it you’ve lost your mind. I can’t get enough of this! This is Death Metal at its best – dark, scary, heavy, brilliant.

This album sounds like the aural equivalent of Death itself.

The Meatfückers – Porn Again (Review)

Mexican Black Metal band The Meatfückers have released their second album Porn Again and are ready to challenge all comers to a competition of sexual perversion!

This is primitive Black/Thrash, crudely recorded and brutally played. The sound is definitely Old-School, with an almost vinyl-like fuzz to it, (probably intentional), but if you like all things nasty and retro then this shouldn’t put you off.

The songs are caked in a firm grime of unidentifiable origin and they rip and thrash their way through nine of them in 27 minutes. Primitive it may be but there’s evidence that there’s more to this band than just Neanderthals throwing rocks at instruments – the odd riff here, a solo there – these guys actually do know what they’re doing. And what they’re doing is bringing the filth.

Favourite Track; Bitch Seeker. A solid Metal main riff and sexy solos make for a memorable song.

Unashamedly rude and crude; for when you’re in the mood for debauchery and lewdness wrapped in raw fighting man’s Metal – then look no further.

Code – Augur Nox (Review)

Code are from the UK and they specialise in Progressive Avant-Garde Black Metal that’s a triumph of both style and substance.

A good musical starting point of reference would be bands such as Arcturus, Dødheimsgard and Enslaved, as well as aspects of Opeth or Borknagar. This is only a starting point however, as Code definitely have their own sound as well as masses of talent and songwriting skills.

Gleaming, obsidian riffs crash against each other in a sea of percussive paranoia and nightmare orchestration. It’s as if someone has been having fantastical dreams about a dark future and they have sprung fully-shaped into life in the form of this album.

The vocals criss-cross all over the complex music and create the impression of power, synergy and importance. Very impressive and brilliantly realised.

There is so much colour and depth to these songs that most bands sound one-dimensional by comparison. Multi-layered vocals take centre-point while the music is no slouch either, effortlessly conjuring up the impressions and feelings that these songsmiths wish you to experience as you travel with them on this wild journey.

This truly is an exceptional and individual release; the kind of album that keeps Metal alive and kicking; stops it from becoming stale and stagnant.

Favourite Track: Garden Chancery. Vocal harmonies to die for. But really I could pick almost any song – Augur Nox is that strong.

This is for all fans of Metal, or just for those with heavier Progressive proclivities. If there’s only one album you get in the near future then make sure it’s this.

Upyr – Altars/Tunnels (Review)

This is the first release from Bulgarian band Upyr.

They play Blackened Doom and do this extremely well. The first track Before the Altars of Necrotic Karma starts with towering slow riffing and alternates this with a more mid-paced attack that evokes murky landscapes and a blackness to get lost in.

Vocals alternate between high shrieks a la Black Metal, and deeper growling and vocalisations. These are quality vocals as the deeper ones sound really menacing and the shrieks, (the predominant style), are savage and as sharp as black ice. Neurosis-style clean vocals are also used sparingly and contribute to the grim whole.

I really like the mood that these songs set for the listener. Although it may describe a bleak and inhospitable environment for the average person, for the connoisseur this is the sweetest of delicacies. The combination of monolithic Doom guitars with a scything Black Metal sheen to them is a dark pleasure to savour.

Taking the blueprint of Doom and infecting it with the corrupting influence of Black Metal is yielding great results for bands like Usnea and Battle Path; now we have another name to add to this glowing list of honors – Upyr.

A top quality first release and may there be many more in the future.

Wonderbox Metal End of Year List – Best Metal of 2013

It’s that time of year again where the Best Of lists start appearing, and Wonderbox Metal is no exception. So here we have my top 15 Metal releases of 2013!

Before we start a couple of notes:

These albums are drawn from ones that I have reviewed only, there are other albums released in 2013 that definitely would have made this list, but as I haven’t reviewed them on this site they don’t get a placing, (bands such as Abyssal, Skagos and Cult of Luna spring to mind off the top of my head).

The order is a bit fluid – due to the subjective nature of music, and depending on mood, these releases could easily be placed in a different order on a different day.

There are some notable mentions also – many others could have been included in this list; the Abominant album Onward to Annihilation for example; I can’t help but feel I should have included this somewhere below, as this is an exemplary Death Metal album. Other notable releases I’ve reviewed this year include the grinding brutality of Plague Widow, the Sludge goldmine of Ilsa and the Death Metal juggernaut that is Amon. All excellent and deserving of a place, but even though I reviewed them this year they were actually released in 2012 they don’t get included sadly. Suffice to say you should hunt them down as they need to be heard!

So, without further ado, here we go!

Soul Remnants

First up at number 15 we have Black and Blood by Soul Remnants. Definitely a grower this album. A very sexy Thrashy Death Metal album with a hint of Black at the edges, this has a great sound that keeps me returning to it. The song Dead Black (Heart of Ice) in particular is worthy of mention, although the entire album is very enjoyable. I highly recommend getting a hold of this.

Arfsynd

At number 14 is Hesychia by Arfsynd. Majestically evil; the cold melodies are my favourite thing about this album. They are both intricate and expressive and give the album a sense of vitality that’s at odds with the bleak music of Black Metal but feels all the more essential for it.

Maeth Edging in at 13 we have Oceans Into Ashes by Maeth. Definitely an album that could easily have been higher up on the list. A long and involving album that is diverse and full of ideas and depth. Definitely something of a Post-Metal classic. As I sit here listening to the album once more I am forced to wonder why I didn’t give this a higher placing? The fact that’s it’s not higher is a testament to how many strong albums I have reviewed this year. That and the fact of mood of course, as mentioned previously. If your tastes bend to the Post- Metal spectrum then this is a must-have.

Funeral Circle

At 12 we have Funeral Circle with their self-titled album, and what an album this is! Traditional Doom Metal that’s damn near essential for fans of this genre, or just Metal fans in general really. As far as I’m concerned Funeral Circle are genre-leaders at the moment and very few bands come close to touching them for this kind of music. As I said in the album review; a win.

Rosetta

Just outside of the top 10 at number 11 is The Anaesthete by Rosetta. Similar to Maeth in the sense that this is another Post-Metal classic-in-the-making that could easily have been higher on the list. My review summed it up perfectly when I said – If you haven’t heard Rosetta before then you should get this album. If you have heard them before then why haven’t you already got this album?

Non Opus Dei/Morowe

Into the hallowed top 10, and at number 10 is the split between Non Opus Dei and Morowe – Dziwki Dei. A special release this is – there’s just something about the songs here. Both bands contribute something slightly different from the standard Black Metal template and both I expect big things from in the future. Highly enjoyable and highly recommended.

At number 9 is Canto III by Eye of Solitude. Oppressively heavy Doom Metal with crushing Death Metal vocals. This album keeps giving and is a work of some very talented musicians. I think Eye of Solitude deserve every accolade that has been thrown their way since the release of Canto III. This is an essential release for fans of emotional, depressive and massively heavy Doom Metal.

At number 8 we have ultra-sophisticated Black Metal in the form of Vesper by Entropia. This album is so good and has such depth and longevity it’s hard to stop playing it. They create a blackened landscape combining fiery Black Metal and Post-Metal gems. Interesting and adventurous Black Metal that should be applauded.

Sneaking in at number 7 is Caves of Glass with their self-titled début album. Seemingly from out of nowhere this album appeared and I almost instantly knew I was going to love it. A huge variety of dark Post-Metal sounds taking their cues from elements of Black Metal and Doom to create a masterpiece that gets better the more you listen to it. Great stuff.

gutslit Next up at number 6 is the fantastic Gutslit with Skewered in the Sewer. Brutal, slamming Death Metal with high-energy and that quintessential Death Metal factor that causes you to have a massive rictus grin while listening to it. The catchy brutality is great and the band are heirs to the Gorerotted throne. Brutality rarely sounds this fun.

Mania In at number 5 we have the Black Metal masterpiece that is Revel by Mania. The sheer qualiy of these tracks is amazing, and the variety of moods and atmospheres successfully employed by the band is awe-inspiring. Such a massively strong album – my only complaint is that there’s not more of it. A superlative release that every Black Metal fan should have in their collection.

Number 4 brings us Czarna Dzika Czerwień by Thy Worshiper, and this is a work of genius. Unique and utterly absorbing; they meld Folk Black Metal with history and tradition to create a work of art that is alive with the breathing of lost peoples and times. A pleasure to listen to.

At number 3 we have the filthed-up Sludge of Boats by Morality Crisis. An inspired and thoroughly dirty album; this is a great listen when you want something challenging and grimy. No pretentions here, just quality and varied Sludge infused with ideas and dirty songcraft. I love this album and think it deserves a wider audience, (like all of these releases really).

YONL The penultimate release at number 2 brings us the luxurious Tocsin by Year Of No Light. State-of-the-art instrumental Metal that doesn’t put a foot wrong. This is a brilliant album that brings together everything that’s great about the Post-Metal/Sludge/Doom/etc. genres and distils them into 57 minutes of essential listening.

And now, (drum roll!), at the much-coveted number 1 position we have the excellent Nephren-Ka with The Fall of Omnius. Brutality, songwriting and atmosphere perfected. This is the kind of album that repeated listens fortify in your brain as just a great album to listen to. It has that almost indefinable something that elevates it above all of its contemporaries. The interesting songwriting; the variety of tempos; the overall sound and feel of the songs; it’s just a great package.

And there we have it! 2013 has been a great year for Metal, and 2014 is already shaping up for some great-sounding releases. I’ve already heard the début by Corpsessed that’s coming out in January, (review soon!), and I’m already pretty certain that it will have a place in the best of 2014, such a strong album it is.

So exciting times ahead – do your part to keep Metal alive and we’ll look forward to another year of extremity!

Happy New Year!

Thy Worshiper – Czarna Dzika Czerwień (Review)

Thy Worshiper are from Poland/Ireland and play Black Metal with a very tribal/folk feeling and influence.

There is a very ritualistic feeling to these songs, added to considerably by tribal drums, female vocals, driving percussion, unorthodox instruments, etc. All of these enhance the flavour of the album and contribute to a 46 minute listen that explores a very rhythmic, pounding Black Metal. A modern version of a folk tale nightmare; the feelings and images described by Czarna Dzika Czerwień are astounding.

The folk influences are poured neatly into the Black Metal mould and solidify seamlessly to create a work of art that simply demands to be heard.

For me personally a lot of “Folk Metal” just sounds weak, wishy-washy, and more-often-than-not simply heralds a band unsure of their direction or of what to do with their Folk influences. None of these criticisms can be levelled at Thy Worshiper. The combination of Folk and Black Metal they create is handled with expert ease and every track sounds alive with history and tradition.

It can be a cliché to describe something as a “hidden gem” but the term definitely fits Thy Worshiper. This is a very strong album that deserves a much wider audience than it’s probably going to get.

An absolute pleasure to listen to and one of my favourite finds.

The Ascendant – The Spiritual Death (Review)

Swedish Black Metal born of dark feelings, bleak atmosphere and doomed empires.

Only two tracks but each song whirls by with gusto and venom. Slithering melodies slide over blasting drums while raging vocals spit hate at an unsuspecting victim. It’s more than just bile and bluster though; there is a depth to these passages and the dark melodies contained within.

The guitars are the prominent feature of this EP – they slither and slide, and sound almost alive with sinuous evil. It sounds like a lot of work has gone into the composition of these two hymns and it’s paid off handsomely.

Herein lies 13 minutes of black magic and transcendence; moments lost in the bat of an eyelid or an eternity of enlightenment? Much promise is contained in this small release.

With the darkness ascending where will you turn?