Death Metal – Page 228 – Wonderbox Metal

Thunderwar – The Birth of Thunder (Review)

The Birth of Thunder is the first release from Polish Death Metallers Thunderwar.

This is Death Metal founded on songs and an underlying melodic edge that will do them credit in the future if they continue to hone it finely. While still undeniably heavy and raging in places, the band understand the need for subtleties in their songs and their arrangements make the best use of the guitar riffs.

There is a Thrash sensibility to the songs on this 19 minute EP which gives them a direction and focus that sets Thunderwar apart from the Death Metal pack. Each riff feels like it has a purpose in the songs, rather than being there purely to fill space until the next, better part of the track starts.

The vocal delivery is particularly accomplished; reminding of some Old-School growlers who attacked with a measured and deliberate pace. Growl is the right word too, as his vocals are like a controlled animalistic outpouring.

An impressive EP that ably shows off the skills of Thunderwar. I’m hoping that they can continue to refine whatever creative seam they are mining and that this hard work will pay off for an upcoming full album. Discover them early.

The Kennedy Veil – Trinity Of Falsehood (Review)

This is the second album of Brutal Death Metal from US band The Kennedy Veil.

This is modern state-of-the-art Death Metal blistering with aggression and serrated to the touch. They are so contemporary it almost hurts; but there is no Djent in sight nor are there any breakdowns. Instead we get pure unadulterated razor-sharp Death Metal; fresh, focused and utterly singular in its murderous intent.

Completely stripped of fat, frills and in a tip top lean fighting condition; these eleven songs tear, rip and batter all-comers into bloody heaps and then look around hungrily for the next victory.

The band are no slouches in the playing department and the songs are endlessly brutal in a very satisfying way.

Concise rhythms and relentless percussion assault the jaded mind sparking long-forgotten passions and dreams. In a slumber of Death Metal bands going through the motions the energy and vigour of a modern Death Metal group like The Kennedy Veil is exactly what is needed. If this is the future then the future is bright.

Endemise – Far From The Light (Review)

This is Canadian Death-infused Black Metal from Endemise and this is their second album.

The band combine the heaviness and brutality of Death Metal with the Blackened atmosphere and symphonics of a band like Dimmu Borgir. Alternatively; imagine a band like Behemoth; now tone down the Death Metal and increase the presence of keyboards – you’re now in the right area that Endemise inhabit. Bands like Alghazanth and Gloria Morti are also good examples.

The songs manage to weave in between these two genres with ease, although they stray mainly into Black Metal territory for most of the album. They might be blasting away full of fury before a keyboard flourish changes their tack and all of a sudden they’re going all grandiose and orchestrated.

True to the rest of the album the vocals fluctuate between high-pitched shrieks and lower growls.

Although a little rough around the edges in places this is an enjoyable album with a few really good moments that they can build on for the next release.

Voidhanger – Working Class Misanthropy (Review)

Black/Death Metal with a Thrashy edge from Poland. Or Thrash Metal with a Blackened Death edge. Either way it’s a bit of a killer.

The first thing you notice is the granite-heavy sound and the utter crushing demolition job that goes along with it.

The songs are mainly fast and pounding but they also have good taste in their choice of slower riffs. This is quality Metal that’s pretty much half-Black and half-Thrash with an extra helping of Metal.

Chock full to bursting of Old-School riffery with a vague Punk air; these are class songs that know they’re good and can afford to have a cocky swagger about them.

The vocals have a lot of character and individuality. Think of singers such as those of Celtic Frost, Venom, Usurper, Cathedral, et al who manage to infuse their voices with both aggression and personality; the singer of Voidhanger is of their ilk, and it really works wonders.

This is a quality Metal album with a crushing sound that’ll have you reaching for the bulletbelt and spikes faster than you can say “blastbeat”.

Mephistopheles – Sounds Of The End (Review)

The first thing I have to note is how great the album cover is. Brilliant stuff.

Mephistopheles are Australian and play Technical Death Metal with interesting riffs and personality.

The instruments are clear and what they play is not your average Death Metal. Lots of ideas and playful experimentation with the genre norms are apparent in the riffs and patterns they use.

Sounds Of The End is very exploratory and guitar-based, with the guitarists seemingly searching for that perfect riff yet always being dissatisfied with what they find so they almost immediately change tack and go hunting for it elsewhere. Meanwhile the drums, bass, (yes it’s audible), and vocals rush to keep up, only by the time they’ve got there the guitars have already moved on two or three times to pastures new.

The guitars seem to jump from one place to another sometimes, always on a quest to find the next, more unusual riff or melody. A full album of this could sound messy, but they also know when to lock into a melody when the song necessitates.

The vocals are varied, going from grunts to shrieks in the space of a few seconds sometimes; matching the eclectic and diverse music. Unexpectedly for this kind of Metal we also get some spoken word and even the odd clean passage, just to keep us on our toes.

This is an elaborate and complex album that doesn’t sound like your typical Technical Death Metal band. It may be of that genre but it has more originality than most and largely succeeds in going its own way. A daunting but rewarding listen.

Decomposed – Devouring (Review)

Decomposed are a Swedish Death Metal band.

Devouring is rooted in the Old-School and the band have a fair grasp of what makes a compelling record from back then.

Reminiscent of many from that era in Swedish Death Metal history, (Dismember, Grave, Unleashed, etc.); they pile them all into a pot, boil them alive and use the remains to create an enjoyable album of putrid riffing and foetid tones.

Decomposed take a methodical approach to their slaughter; slicing through flesh and hacking off limbs with efficiency and glee. They do take the time to smell the corpses however, as evidenced by the slower and more introspective parts of the songs.

The guitars roll and heave, while the drums smack down hard and the vocalist roars with all of his might. A passion for Death Metal is clear from the start and combined with a good ear for songwriting it makes Devouring a solid listen.

The more I listen to this the more I enjoy it. Get yourself a healthy blast of Old-School Swedish assault and listen to Decomposed.

Suffering Hour – Foreseeing Exemptions to a Dismal Beyond (Review)

Suffering Hour are from the US and play high-energy Old-School Death Metal with elements of Thrash and even a tiny bit of Black Metal straight out of the Venom school.

Immediately from the first song Truths of the Unknown it’s clear that the band give their all to the music and they have plenty of ideas they want to include in their songs as well.

The riffs and melodies used are interesting and not simply genre-rehashing; and the variety of musical influences, (Vader, Morbid Angel, to name just two), that can be heard mean the songs hold interest with ease and before you know it the 29 minute running time is over.

The songs are written well with a good grasp of structure and pace. The tracks vary in length from the relatively short to the longer 8:35 of Enthralled in Lunacy Abyss, which shows that Suffering Hour are not afraid to do what they want and play the kind of Death Metal that pleases them without pandering to anyone else. As it should be.

The vocals are top quality and range from screams to deep growls, with plenty of range shown between the two.

They also have an instrumental song named Prog Thrashing Death which does exactly what it says on the tin.

The production is generally competent and has a very organic sound, however I feel it’s slightly uneven in places and could do with being slightly stronger for their next release. This is only a minor quibble though as it does the job well enough.

The quality and breadth of content in these songs should be envied by most Metal bands and this EP is a huge success for me. For such a young band to have found their musical footing so early on and produced a quality EP with such personality and individuality is a wonderful thing.

This really is fantastic. Support this band as they could go far in the world of Extreme Metal.

Frozen Hell – Rise! (Review)

Italian band Frozen Hell play Melodic Death Metal and this is their first release.

This EP is of the Gothenburg, early In Flames-style of Melodic Death Metal and the band play tribute to this era with six tracks of Old-School melodicism.

The vocals have some bite and are performed well, with deeper and not so deep raspings and growls; it’s good.

Recording-wise the vocals and drums have really nice organic sound to them that’s very pleasing to the ear. The guitars and bass however sound slightly muted and could really do with some extra punch to bring them to life.

Also included as a seventh track is an Amon Amarth cover The Pursuit of Death, which is a medley combining The Pursuit of Vikings and Death in Fire.

Not too bad for a début release; if they can come back with a full album with a better production and a bit more refined songsmithing then they could be on to something.

Wormed – Exodromos (Review)

Wormed are from Spain and play science/future-themed Brutal/Technical Death Metal.

Tight, muscular songs fly by in a haze of technical wizardry with so much going on it’s hardly possible to digest everything in one sitting. The album positively demands repeated listens, and rightfully deserves them too.

This level of extremity is extremely impressive. Especially so when wrapped up in a state-of-the-art, crystal-clear production that makes the most out of every instrument with a sound so sharp you could cut yourself on it.

It’s not all about the technicality though, there’s a massive injection of pure brutality to go along with it. Wormed have managed to pitch both types of Death Metal against each other and come out a winner on both sides.

The songs are generally relatively short with most of them being about the 3:00-3:30 mark, but there is a lot going on and the band don’t need longer to make their mark.

The maniacal drumming, guttural pig-noise vocals, breakneck inventive riffing and massive chugging atrocities all combine to create an experience not easily forgotten. Like a thunderclap given form and mangled into an intricate design that rushes towards you at the speed of sound; you’ll wonder what the hell just happened but be more than eager to repeat the experience. This is an album I’ll be joyfully assimilating for some time.

Gigan – Multi-Dimensional Fractal-Sorcery And Super Science (Review)

So you fancy some futuristic Progressive Technical Death Metal do you? Well look no further than US band Gigan as they have what you’re looking for!

This is no easy listening though; it requires repeated spins to truly absorb what is going on here. And even then there is still more to discover.

This may be touted as Technical Death Metal, and it is as far as descriptors go; but it’s not your average Tech Death that’s for sure.

Riffs wash over you like a sea of cosmic rays and thousands of quantum fluctuations assault your senses in forbidden mathematical equations. In a way the cover is all you need to know about this release as it captures the essence of the album very well, if not the raw visceral chaos of the songs themselves.

The tracks are lengthy and involved, and the production is dense and gritty; the nuances are plentiful and easy to overlook on first listen. There is simply so much content in every minute that it can be hard to know which part to focus on. Never let it be said that Gigan aren’t giving enough.

This is interesting and innovative in the way that only ground-breakers and rule-smashers can be. On a bumpy, mind-numbing journey through outer space, I can’t think of any better guide than Gigan.

Multi-Dimensional Fractal-Sorcery And Super Science can be befuddling and unapproachable; but those who persevere will be rewarded. Great stuff.