Death Metal – Page 228 – Wonderbox Metal

Soreption – Engineering The Void (Review)

This is the second album from Sweden’s Technical Death Metal wizards Soreption.

With a sound so sharp and crisp you could stab people with it, Engineering The Void erupts from the speakers like a geyser of technicality and blastbeats. This is Tech Death of the highest order.

Soreption play things ultra-precise and fast, and aren’t afraid to introduce new or novel ideas to their songs to make things even more interesting. They also know when to hold back and make the most out of a sexy riff, such as in Utopia.

I enjoy Technical Death Metal a lot when it’s done well. The problem sometimes is that the songs can get lost in all of the blurry speed and mayhem and it can therefore be easy to lose interest. Soreption don’t suffer from this though and the interest is held throughout this superlative release. It should be noted that this doesn’t mean the band play catchy songs; they don’t. The songs have form and substance and are merely composed of technicality and focused precision rather than being ruled and overpowered by them as can sometimes be the case with this style of Metal.

The singer can sometimes be overlooked in favour of the extreme technicality in these kind of bands, so I feel compelled to mention that the vocalist’s output matches the high performance levels of the rest of the group. He has a really strong voice which he uses to great effect, barking out savagery in a crisp, precise way; keeping in with the style of the album.

This is mechanically tight and flawlessly delivered. Technical Death Metal is not everyone’s favourite type of music but if you are partial to a bit of this then Soreption do it better than most. This has real longevity baked into it and is a great listen. Give them a try.

Asylum – Inmate (Review)

Indian Metal band Asylum have released Inmate, a five track EP containing 21 minutes of music.

Thrashy groove-heavy Death Metal is essentially Asylum’s choice of assault, and they do this well. Sounding akin to a modern Thrash band only with harsher vocals and more of a bouncy Death Metal feel to the riffs. Some guitar solos even raise their heads; always welcome.

The singer has a top-quality voice. Deep but defined and clear. It works well with the crisp music the band play.

The songs are enjoyable enough and bounce along with glee. Mid-paced Death Metal that has plenty of rhythm always puts me in mind of Grave, no matter what. Even here where there are few similarities between the bands, (Asylum certainly don’t have that Swedish sound and they’re more New-School, than Old-), Grave can’t help but enter my thoughts. A slightly irrelevant aside of course, but sometimes it’s good to veer off-topic slightly.

Anyway – back to the band at hand. I enjoyed this EP and if they can keep this up and refine their sound even further the band will do well. Check them out.

Agiel – Dark Pantheons (Review)

Hailing from the US, Agiel play furious Symphonic Death Metal.

This 5 track EP is a calling card of beauty and brutality combined. A velvet-covered iron-fist smash to the face.

The songs are fast and interesting, with the strings and effects creating quite an exciting atmosphere on top of the underlying blasting.

This is how Death Metal would sound if it ever scored a film soundtrack. Bombastic and epic, while remaining utterly bestial and deranged; at times it can almost sound overbearing, like two disparate musical worlds colliding, or two songs being played at the same time. This description does it a disservice however, as the tracks are coherent enough to be enjoyable and overall this works and is done well.

This is quite an exciting and inspired release, as few Death Metal bands have combined this level of orchestration with such a pure Brutal Death Metal core, and it’s genuinely thrilling to hear.

A very worthwhile listen, and promises much to come for the the next full length.

Halahkuh – Desecration (Review)

This is the first EP from Indian Thrash band Halahkuh, and they must be putting something in the water over there as this is another quality Indian Metal band it seems.

I was first drawn to this by the album cover – it veritably screams LISTEN TO ME NOW THERE IS METAL HERE! So I did, and there is.

At only 15 minutes this is a short EP but it ably showcases the talents of the band. It starts off slow and atmospheric with the first track Ordeal that builds expectation and then the release comes in the form of first song-proper Sacrilege. Furious drumming and rabid vocals propel the song along at a good pace and the singer sounds more like he’s barking than making actual human sounds.

This is heavy modern Thrash with a Melodic Death Metal edge to it, and even the odd-blastbeat makes an appearance.

The band are to be commended for their passion and the songs are clearly written and performed by a band that loves to play and knows how to, (with solos!).

A thoroughly Metal and thoroughly enjoyable release. Here’s to a full-length sometime soon. Ones to watch.

Megascavenger – At the Plateaus of Leng (Review)

The latest Megascavenger album, (a project of Rogga Johansson), contains quite the list of guest vocalists – just have a look at the line up, (taken from the promo blurb) –

1. At The Plateaus Of Leng (Vocals by DAVE INGRAM of Bolt Thrower/Benediction)

2. The Festered Earth (Vocals by KAM LEE of Massacre)

3. And Then The Death Sets In (Vocals by AAD KLOOSTERWAARD of Sinister)

4. The Mucus Man (Vocals by MARTIN VAN DRUNEN of Asphyx/Hail of Bullets)

5. Like Comets Burn The Ether (Vocals by DAVE ROTTEN of Avulsed)

6. When Death Kills The Silence (Vocals by FELIX STASS of Crematory)

7. The Hand Of Bereavment (Vocals by ILKKA JARVENPÄÄ of National Napalm Syndicate)

8. Back To The Ancient (Vocals by BRYNJAR HELGETUN of Crypticus)

9. Night Of The Grand Obscenity (Vocals by ROGGA JOHANSSON)

If that’s not enough to get expectations running high I don’t know what is.

This album is full of melodic Old-School Death Metal goodness, but also a few unexpected turns such as the clean vocals/keyboard side of The Festered Earth, or the cleans of The Hand of Bereavement. Variety is a good thing however and these little flourishes and touches just enhance the album as a whole.

At the Plateaus of Leng is crushing and without mercy, stomping and stamping on all who oppose. But more than brutality these songs are surprisingly melodic and succeed well in hooking the listener. The tracks march along easily enough, propelled by the mid-paced barrage of the drums and carried aloft by the tuneful guitars. Each song is well-written, being identifiable from the last and not just because of the different vocals. This is an album of songs rather than just a collection of tracks, and there are catchy moments in great supply.

All of the vocalists do a sterling job and add their own personality and character into each of the compositions. Each song may have a different vocalist but the album flows nicely and doesn’t sound disjointed or like a compilation album, even when they veer into more Heavy Metal territory with clean singing it still holds together well as a package.

A very accomplished release, chock full of classic Death Metal songs, each one as enjoyable as the last.

Chaos Inception – The Abrogation (Review)

US Death Metallers Chaos Inception play such a chaotic whirlwind brand of Death Metal that it’s easy to get blown away by and miss out on just how much is going on in these 9 tracks.

Imagine a band like Morbid Angel only with the technicality and speed ramped up to the max. Chaos Inception mean business.

There is a relentless frenzied feeling to this album that is just short of an animalistic, instinctive craving for destruction. Having said that though there is nothing simple about this music; the band seem to have sharpened their attack to a fine point and the guitars in particular show some considerable musical muscle flexing.

It’s easy to like this kind of Death Metal, (assuming you’re a fan of complete extremity in the first place of course), as it just sweeps up anything in its path and dumps it unceremoniously into the grinder when it’s done. The instruments are all played extremely well, presumably by plague-ridden demons, and the album is just a treasure trove of brutal delights.

All of this adds up to an album that has a feeling of savage malevolence and ultra-violence. Chaos Inception will rip off your face and laugh at your misfortune. And they’ll do it at speed before you’ve even noticed.

For fans of real Extreme Metal only; if this is you then this is a must.

Cripple Bastards – Nero In Metastasi (Review)

Italian veteran Grinders Cripple Bastards darken our doors once more with their new album – 18 tracks in 36 minutes.

Playing a pissed off Hardcore-tinged version of Grind; Cripple Bastards may have been around for many a year now but they are not falling short on the ideas or integrity fronts.

Riffs fly around all over the place like splinters and the drums pound like bowling balls being dropped. Effortlessly combining Hardcore, Punk, Grind and Death Metal into short songs with all being presented in their inimical savage style. There is a even a 9 minute epic Splendore E Tenebra which is as unexpected as it is welcome.

The vocals are a thing of rabid beauty; running the gamut from deep, guttural Death Metal vocals to higher rasps, the one thing that never changes is the intensity of them.

Favourite Track: Lapide Rimossa. The Old-School and the New merged flawlessly to create an excellent song. A microcosm for the album as a whole.

When Grindcore is played this well it’s easy to remember what you love about the genre. The energy and passion in these songs is infectious.

This is a Grind masterclass performed by people who are at the top of their game. This album easily differentiates itself from so many Grind-wannabes by the character and individuality of the band, let alone the quality of the songs. A must for any fan of Grindcore.

Pus Vomit – Stoned To Death (Review)

Philippine Brutal Death Metal band Pus Vomit have released their new EP Stoned To Death, packed to the rafters full of pig-noise, slam-downs and slaughter.

This is out-and-out brutality that worships the crushing, mid-paced attack of Death Metal as much as the out-and-out blast; and there is plenty of both. They play fast and slow equally well, but the slower parts can sometimes be so oppressive in their heaviness that they’re worthy of special note.

For only a three-piece, (with no bassist), they don’t half play an almighty racket. Proper Brutal Death Metal played for the sheer bloodthirsty fun of it. 5 tracks in 19 minutes means it doesn’t outstay its welcome; it simply enters the room, kills everyone in sight, stays briefly to molest the bodies and then leaves through a hole in the wall which it makes with a sledgehammer.

There’s even time to tack on a “hidden song” at the end of the last track, which is apparently a re-recorded version of one of the first songs they ever recorded.

There is nothing new here but that’s not the point; this is all about ripping, tearing, slashing and hacking your way through the corpses to the sound of dying pigs. And who can honestly say they don’t enjoy a bit of that in the morning?

Brutally Deceased – Dead Lovers’ Guide (Review)

From the Czech Republic Brutally Deceased play Old-School Death Metal in the Swedish style.

Instantly bringing to mind acts such as Dismember and Grave, as well as the fact that the last song on the album is a Dismember cover and they’re named after a Grave song; you’ll soon realise that this band like their Swedish Death Metal. A lot. Added to the fact that the album has that Swedish sound and you’ll soon be unpacking that old chainsaw and setting it to work once more.

Like rediscovering a lost friend, the album explodes out of the speakers with the chainsaw buzz-riffs sawing away at your ears while the short, sharp vocals bite deep into your flesh.

This may not be highly original, but what it lacks in originality it makes up for in passion and enthusiasm. If you’re looking for the very latest in new things then look away as this is not for you, but if you like a solid slab of hero-worship and can’t get enough of classic Swedish Death Metal then you should definitely check this out. The fact that the band don’t actually come from Sweden is irrelevant.

A highly enjoyable trek down memory lane. Taken by itself this is a strong Old-School Death Metal album. The guitars roar, the drums pound and the vocals damage. They’ve succeeded in getting me moving; check them out and see if they can do the same for you.

Coraxo – Starlit Flame (Review)

Coming from Finland, Coraxo play Industrial Death Metal with a strong Aliens theme running through the tracks on this release.

After a suitable intro we get first song Signal Detected which positively bounces along in a jolly, sci-fi kind of way; melodic Death Metal under a covering of electronics and effects; like At The Gates/Dark Tranquillity and The Kovenant/Deathstars/Neurotech fighting it out.

There are some pleasing riffs churned out, with the effects adding additional depth without smothering the actual Metal. This is a band using the electronica to enhance the Metal and the theme of the songs rather than to be a novelty or for wider commercial appeal.

With this kind of music there is a lot that can go wrong, and as usual this is very subjective so it does depend on the interpretation of the listener of course, (as always). For me this EP tends to largely be on the right side of the potential hazards; the electronics and effects are prominent but not overbearing; the guitars have substance and are not just there for show; the vocalist has bite and is not interested in being the next Marilyn Manson; the music is dark enough to avoid any potential “Cheese Factor”. I’m calling victory here.

The more I listen to this the more I fall for its charms. It has its own character and personality. It’s also very catchy in places. Xenotaph in particular. Tacked on the end of the EP is a cover of Sepultura’s Refuse/Resist that ends proceedings nicely.

If your taste in Metal runs to the less-conventional then check out Coraxo and see if you fall for their sci-fi sound.