Death Metal – Page 179 – Wonderbox Metal

Ferium – Behind the Black Eyes (Review)

This is the second album from Israeli Death/Groove Metal band Ferium.

Ferium’s début album Reflections was a lively and enjoyable album that mixed Death and Groove Metal in just the right amounts.

The first thing about Behind the Black Eyes that strikes me is that it’s a far more focused effort than their début; the total playing time, total number of songs and individual track lengths have all been pruned, showing a band who have gained experience in the last few years and have trimmed away the fat to leave a lean, aggressive Metal machine.

The band essentially employ the same format as they did previously – heavy riffs and groovy beats interspersed with elements of modern Metalcore and underscored by a Death Metal base – but this time it’s tighter and more direct. That’s not to say there’s no depth of songwriting here, rather, the band are now closer to the style they clearly want to play and are playing it as they know how best to do; with angry brutality and poised aggression.

The singer growls and barks his way through the tracks. He seems to have improved on his already very satisfactory earlier performance and on this latest release appears to have settled into his role even more comfortably than previously. His voice is quite versatile, with his many different vocalisations all intent on maximising aggression.

All of the songs are well written and demonstrate a band coming into their own. Interesting and nuanced riffs rub shoulders with simpler bruisers, resulting in satisfying songs that may take a direct approach but provide enough content so as to be worth returning to over time.

Well, Reflections was good, but this is better. Well done Ferium.

Highly recommended for fans of Whitechapel, Gojira, Lamb of God, Job for a Cowboy, Thy Art Is Murder, Meshuggah, etc.

Bushwhacker – The False Dilemma (Review)

This is the second album from Canadian Progressive Death Metal band Bushwhacker.

Bushwhacker are an interesting proposition, combining, as they do, both Black and Death Metal as well as elements of Thrash, Sludge and psychedelia into their Extreme Metal sound.

The production is strong and the playing tight. The band have a sound that’s heavy, aggressive and dark, although not without its moments of subtlety and nuance. Harshness and melody combine, with textured riffs and thoughtful aggression leading the way. There’s plenty of leads and solos to get your teeth into and at 48 minutes in length it provides a lot of content and ideas.

The songs are well-written, with good pacing and dynamics. The band have a clear talent for this kind of thing and their confidence and ambition comes out in the strong music.

These are nicely varied songs, working as a whole to provide an album that’s a full listening experience. It’s obvious that a lot of work has gone into making this music what it is, and the end result is a really enjoyable Progressive Death Metal journey, complete with more than enough influences from other camps to make Bushwhacker an interesting and enticing proposition.

The vocals are largely screamed, with an old-school Thrash influence to them in places. They seem to skid, slide and slice over the surface of the lively guitars.

In a sea of samey-sounding bands, Bushwhacker stick out like a sore thumb with their fresh-sounding take on Extreme Metal.

I heartily recommend this album.

Within Destruction – Void (Review)

This is the second album from this Slovenian Death Metal band.

Blast beats, huge groovy riffs and crushing beatdowns, this is what we like. Within Destruction play modern Death Metal with a side order of Deathcore, taking in all stops on the brutality train as they pummel and carve their way through the opposition.

The vocalist appears to have eaten all of the souls and spends the album trying to vomit them up in new and disgusting ways. His deep growls are a pleasure to listen to and work perfectly with the blasting mayhem and destructive beats.

With fast aggression and a decent compromise between simplicity and technicality, Void is a relentless and unrepentant series of kicks to the head.

The songs are energetic and the Deathcore influence means that it’s easy to find yourself bouncing along as the tracks progress. As you do. Importantly, (and this is where most pure Deathcore bands fail), they don’t rely totally on this approach and also include some proper Death Metal brutality, some technical riffage and even understated atmospheric melodies. The end result is songs that may have style, but also have some substance to them too; very important.

Ahhh, it’s so nice to hear this kind of stuff. It’s so easy to be jaded and cynical these days, but when you hear something like this, played with real passion and a lust for all things sickeningly heavy and brutal, you can’t help but get swept away with it. Also; huge monster on the cover. What’s not to like?

Highly recommended.

For fans of Analepsy, Thy Art Is Murder, Infant Annihilator, Beneath the Massacre, Acrania, Aborted, etc.

Mithridatic – Miserable Miracle (Review)

This is the début album from French Blackened Death Metallers Mithridatic.

Boasting a heavy and dirty sound that immediately puts me in mind of Arkhon Infaustus’ Blackened Death Metal classic Filth Catalyst, Mithridatic reveal themselves to be a similar proposition, albeit one with its own blackened charms, of course.

The songs are extremely satisfying and have that fine ratio balanced just about right between Black Metal and Death Metal influences. As such, these songs are both brutal and grim, providing the listener with some of the strongest Blackened Death Metal currently out there, in my humble opinion.

Mithridatic have obviously taken their time with these songs. They’re well-composed, well-structured and have just enough variation to keep things interesting without losing their sense of direction. Blackened riffs, fluid guitar solos, darkened melodies, moody malevolence, brutal assaults and blasting mayhem are all used effectively during these tracks.

High screams and growling shouts form the bedrock of the vocals. The singer has a certain quality to his voice that allows him to have instant charisma, putting me in mind of Morbid Angel on occasion, (whose influence also extends to aspects of the music).

A very impressive achievement. For me, Blackened Death Metal is a style that is all too easy to do poorly, but when it’s done right it really gets the hairs standing on end. This is one such release; not only due to the atmosphere the band create, but also due to the quality and personality of the songs themselves.

A mix of Arkhon Infaustus, Morbid Angel and a touch of Akercocke? Sign me up.

Go check this one out immediately.

Ashen Horde – Nine Plagues (Review)

Ashen Horde is a one man Black Metal band from the US. This is his second album.

The production on this release is quite satisfying; the guitars have a really nice darkened tone to them and the drums are solid and firm.

The songs themselves have a Black Metal base with added Thrash and Death Metal elements fused in. Thrashy Blackened Death Metal, although a bit of a mouthful, would do justice as a description I feel. Unlike a lot of Blackened Death Metal though, the emphasis is more on the Black Metal side, although this is up for debate of course.

The Death Metal aspect of the band lends the songs a forceful muscularity that a purely Black Metal band would probably lack, and in some ways the album sounds like a Death Metal band covering Black Metal songs, musically at least. The brain behind the band can clearly play though, and there’s some quite technical messing about, (itself a technical term…), here and there.

Vocally we get curious snarls that seem half-spoken and half-spewed. I can’t help but wonder how much better they would be if they had more of a traditionally screamed delivery though, but this is a minor quibble; they do the job.

Featuring decent blasting, enough complexity to satisfy and songs that grow over time, this is one to settle into and take your time with.

Strangulate – Catacombs of Decay (Review)

Strangulate are an Indian Death Metal band, this is their début album.

Strangulate’s Death Metal is raw and brutal, going straight for the throat with their direct assault.

The gruesome riffs and bloody vocals sound like they were recorded about 20 years ago and then sealed in a crypt and forgotten about. Until now. It seems that some hapless victim has stumbled upon these ancient recordings and unleashed them on the world.

The band’s ugly approach to Death Metal is not polished, not state-of-the-art, not technical and not precise, and once they have you in their grip you wouldn’t want it any other way. This is 33 minutes of murderous, nasty music that knows a thing or two about how best to go about causing as much damage as possible.

Music like this is very honest and the passion of the band comes through in the delivery. The songs may be raw and unyielding, but they play the classic style well and the songwriting is on point. There’s a pleasing mix of blast beats and the mid-paced, with plenty of tasty riffs along the way that are catchier than you might think, too.

I hear elements of bands like Cannibal Corpse, (old) Hypocrisy, Gorerotted, Incantation, Severe Torture, Suffocation and a host of others in their sound. They pick and choose their influences with care and Catacombs of Decay is enriched by the band’s knowledge of their Death Metal heritage.

I mustn’t neglect to mention the singer, either. His clipped barking growls are performed flawlessly, perfectly capturing the essence of the style.

Mixing the old-school and classic styles of Death Metal to provide us with a great combination of blasting brutality and well-thought out riffs, Strangulate’s début is a winner and definitely rough and fierce enough to scrape your skin off.

Highly recommended.

Demonstealer – This Burden Is Mine (Review)

This is the second album from Indian Extreme Metal band Demonstealer.

This is a very ambitious album. Across 9 tracks the band deliver 57 minutes of music that straddles Death, Black, Thrash, Progressive and Atmospheric Metal to deliver an epic journey.

Recognisably Death Metal at their core, Demonstealer skilfully incorporate the above-mentioned aspects into their sound so that we have something that the likes of Nile, Behemoth, Fleshgod Apocalypse, Septic Flesh, Opeth and other such envelope-pushing bands should be proud of.

This Burden Is Mine hops between genres with ease. One moment it might be all blasting and mayhem, while the next it may be soft, reflective and shamelessly progressive. And then you have the atmospheric, symphonic elements, where the keyboards get to shine and the emotive side of the band is ramped up to full capacity. The band also have a melodic flair that adds a lot to the tracks, with plenty of tasty leads and solos thrown into the mix.

Pure Death Metal growls are accentuated with a more varied delivery of screams, shouts, clean and semi-clean vocals, professionally done and perfectly judged. You’d easily think this album had more than one singer, rather than just one very talented vocalist.

Although this album is extremely diverse and varied, it carries a holistic cohesiveness with it that speaks of the quality songwriting and talent that the band are capable of. This Burden Is Mine is extremely impressive and a rich, evocative listen.

Well well. Albums like this don’t come along that often. This should be embraced and celebrated by all Metal fans as the tour de force that it is.

Essential.

Inverloch – Distance | Collapsed (Review)

This is the début album from Australian Doom/Death band Inverloch.

Featuring members of the legendary Disembowelment, this is a highly anticipated release in some quarters that lives up to the lofty expectations laid upon it, for the most part.

Here we have a flawless blend of Doom and Death Metal, so much so that you could almost classify the band as one or the other, really, if the Doom aspect wasn’t quite so all-pervading.

Inverloch are heavy, nasty and clearly know what they’re doing. Also, did I mention they’re heavy? The songs chug, blast and DOOOOOM their way through the 39 minutes of ugly misery contained on this release, and it’s barely contained at that.

It’s easy to like these songs, as whether the band are playing at a snail’s pace or blasting out with furious mayhem, it’s all done extremely well.

More than just a collection of devastating riffs and deep growls, (although there’s more than enough of both), Distance | Collapsed has an emotional resonance and depth that is surprising in its effectiveness, considering how harrowing and mind-numbingly dark these songs actually are.

The riffs are ominous, unsettling and frequently more than a little bit scary. To say Inverloch are an imposing proposition is putting it mildly. There’s just something about the darkened auras that they create… In some ways these tracks are like scraping at a raw wound; you know you shouldn’t, but it just feels so damn good. Or something. Oh I dunno, just listen to Inverloch, it’s worth it in every way.

Interview with Abyssus

Abyssus have been taking the underground old-school Death Metal scene by storm in recent years, culminating in their début album Into the Abyss and their recent compilation Once Entombed…. Fast becoming one of my favourite old-school Death Metal bands, I wanted to know more about these Greek death-dealers…

For those who are unfamiliar with your band – introduce yourself!

Greetings!! I am Panos Gkourmpaliotis, the guitarist of Abyssus, an old school death metal band from Greece. Abyssus formed in 2011 by the vocalist Kostas Analytis, just to glorify the Metal of Death!!! I entered the band in 2012 and Kostas Ragiadakos (bass) joined us in 2015. Abyssus is just our passion for 80s and 90s Death/Thrash Metal.

Give us a bit of background to Abyssus

After the release of our first EP “Monarch to the Kingdom of the Dead” (2011) it was about time for the band to have a solid line up. We played some live shows and we recorded a few split releases (No Life in the Coffin with legendary Nocturnal Vomit in 2013 , “From the Abyss Raised the Morbid” with mighty Morbider in 2014 and “Obscure” with Slaktgrav in 2014). The songs included in the split with Morbider were remixed and remastered because we were completely disappointed with the sound of that release. The result was “Summon the Dead” in 2014 , an EP released only on tape. For many years we were giving final form to our style. In 2015 we entered Unreal Studios, one of the best studios in Athens and we recorded our début album entitled “Into the Abyss” (released in 2015 via Memento Mori) and some split releases that already came in 2016 and some others that will follow soon.

What are your influences?

Our influences are all those epic bands from 80s and 90s that served old school Metal with respect and passion. Bands like Bolt Thrower, Death, Asphyx, Autopsy, Obituary, Possessed, Massacre, Benediction, Death Strike, Cancer, Slayer, Sodom, Hellhammer, Celtic Frost, Venom, Bathory.

What are you listening to at the moment that you would like to recommend?

This period am listening to Rapture’s début album called “Crimes Against Humanity” and “Ways of Enclosure” by Dementia 13. Both are great albums! Don’t forget to bang your heads with “Exterminate!! Annihilate! Destroy! by Down Among The Dead Men. Hail to Dave Ingram , one of the best Death Metal vocalists ever!!!! Bow to none!!!!

Give us a bit of background to Once Entombed… – as a collection of your older work, how did this release come about?

Memento Mori and Κunal of Transcending Obscurity cooperate on album promotions. So we met him! Transcending Obscurity celebrates with us and honours our first days with “Once Entombed…”, a compilation that shows the evolution of the band through the years. Most of our early releases are difficult to find, so it is a good opportunity for someone who wants to get in touch with that stuff. So far our collaboration with Transcending Obscurity has been more than excellent. Kunal is a metal maniac and we couldn’t be more satisfied with the result !!!

How do you go about writing your songs – has this changed over time?

Me and Kostas Analytis write our own stuff and then we shall get in touch to play to each other the new ideas.. We are partners in crime!! Until “Summon the dead” Kostas Analytis was the main composer of the band and I had less responsibility on that material. That was something that changed after “Summon the Dead” so to speak , as and I am responsible for the biggest part of “Into the Abyss”.

To me, your EP Monarch to the Kingdom of the Dead is stylistically and sonically different to what came after – what prompted this?

Our first EP “Monarch to the Kingdom of the Dead” released in 2011 and as I talked, when Abyssus began to act was just an one man band. As it is logical Kostas Analytis had a different view from me. But we found a common path somewhere in the middle and this is the so called evolution of Abyssus from “No Life in the Coffin” till now.

What’s your favourite song on your début album and why?

My favorite song off “Into the Abyss” is “Echoes of Desolation”. It’s probably the most “epic” song on the album , so to speak! The one that evokes more emotions and makes you get into a different kind of dimension.

What does the future hold for Abyssus?

Right now we are working on new material! Very soon our début album “Into the Abyss will be released on vinyl format via Floga Records and a 4-way split on 7” vinyl, with Death Courier / Slaughtered Priest / DreamLongDead. Also we’d like to play live our music in the near future , as two years have gone since our last live performance!

And finally – how ace is Death Metal?

After a long time that passed from the glorious 90s, prevailed mediocrity in all genres of metal music!!! As Asphyx said on “Deathhammer”, pollution begins!!!! Decades after, we see the streams of great releases coming out one after another and we are really excited about that. We believe that Death Metal must remain pure and old school as it had begun!! We respect and we admire so many legendary bands that kill again and of course new bands that defend the old sound with passion and true inspiration! Hail true Death Metal.

Virulency – The Anthropodermic Manuscript of Retribution (Review)

This is the début album from Spanish Brutal Death Metal band Virulency.

I really enjoyed their 2012 début EP, Unbearable Martyrdom Landscapes, so when this much-anticipated début album found its way to me, I knew I had to give it a thorough listening as soon as I could.

First impressions – I like the album cover as it just screams BRUTAL DEATH METAL at the top of its blood-ridden lungs. Nice.

So, delve into the pit of Virulency and what do we get? We get ultra-brutal Death Metal that’s nicely heavy and suitably extreme. This is not the kind of thing that Joe Public would like. At all.

Elements of Grindcore and the slam-Death Metal styles are to be heard scattered throughout these tracks and the relentless hammering of the music definitely hits the spot.

They have retained the tasty sound that they had on their EP, with a satisfying guitar tone and nicely balanced drums. You can even hear the bass, which is always good, especially as it is played well and does some interesting things; it adds a strangely-tense undertone to the music and is a welcome constant companion as you tour these depths of corruption and mutation.

The only real disappointment for me is the vocals, as these appear to have gone a bit more into the realms of pignoise squeals than previously. This is not a vocal style I massively enjoy as when it’s over-used it tends to rob a singer of all of their power when compared to actual growls. To be fair to the singer though, his vocals tread just the right side of ridiculous, and he retains enough vestigial strength in his voice to just about pull it off, which I’m very grateful for. It’s just that, for me, in an ideal world, actual growls would have been so much better. On the odd occasion that growls do appear on these tracks it’s like a filter has been removed and all of a sudden the band are complete. But hey, that’s just my taste.

Overall, slight vocal issues aside, this is still a very satisfyingly brutal 29 minutes, one that I heartily recommend you check out.