January has seen somewhat of a slow start to the year for metal releases. Despite this, there have still been some that are well worth your attention. Have a look at the gems below and let me know which ones sound the best to you… Continue reading “Monthly Overview – the Best of January 2019”
Tag: Erlen Meyer
Erlen Meyer – Sang et Or (Review)
Erlen Meyer are from France and play post-hardcore/metal. This is their second album.
I’ve been looking forward to this release ever since the band’s 2013’s self-titled debut. I managed to catch them live at 2016’s Damnation Festival and interview them too, so this is definitely an album I’ve been awaiting. Continue reading “Erlen Meyer – Sang et Or (Review)”
Damnation Festival – Leeds University, 05/11/16 (Live Review)
This is the twelfth edition of the UK’s Damnation Festival, and although it may be cold outside, inside there’s more than enough incendiary metal to heat things up. Hopefully the recent preview whetted your appetite, and now it’s time to see how the real thing turned out…
Attan 13:00-13:30 Terrorizer Stage
It’s with great excitement and expectation that I await Attan’s arrival. From Nothing is such a colossal opening statement for a band that I can’t wait to see how it translates into the live environment. Continue reading “Damnation Festival – Leeds University, 05/11/16 (Live Review)”
Interview with Erlen Meyer
An interview with Erlen Meyer before their recent appearance at the UK’s Damnation Festival on 05/11/16.
Check out their album here – https://shelsmusic.bandcamp.com/album/erlen-meyer
Wonderbox Metal review – http://wp.me/p3zRmN-1oM
Damnation Festival Preview
The UK’s Damnation Festival is fast approaching. Saturday 5th November will see a plethora of top metal bands, large and small, take to the stage in Leeds to show off their music, and there’s a lot to be excited about.
With a whopping 4 stages and a wealth of metal talent spread across many genres and drawn from all over the globe, there’s bound to be something here to satiate even the most jaded of metal tastes. There’s a very good reason it’s my favourite UK festival and seems to only be going from strength to strength every year. Continue reading “Damnation Festival Preview”
Under the Sun – Under the Sun (Review)
Under the Sun are from France and this is their début album. They play Post-Hardcore.
Post-Metal is a rich genre and an exceedingly varied one. Also, the line between Post-Metal and its sister genres of Post-Rock and Post-Hardcore is a blurred one and can sometimes be hard to define.
Although I’d probably call this Post-Hardcore, strictly speaking it doesn’t really matter which one Under the Sun fall into; what matters is that they play long, exploratory and expansive music based around the darkness of the human mind and the frequently negative emotions that go alongside this.
This is build/release territory and the band are adept at writing a good atmospheric tune. The length of the tracks gives them ample room to manoeuvre and all of the stylistic space is taken up with creating the mood that the band wants you to feel; usually this is one of heartbreak, tragedy and melancholy.
The melodies are luxurious and drawn out, with the band really drawing the listener into the performance. Lighter Progressive Rock passages rub shoulders with heavier Doom sections. A firm sense of dynamics sees the band well through the longer compositions and they inject enough variety to hold interest.
This is a very unhurried album as the songs unfold exactly as they need to. Vocals don’t even appear until the second song as the band are content to largely let the music do the talking. These vocals are essentially Hardcore in nature and lend a chaotic edge to their sound, although some calmer cleans appear also.
Here we have a band echoing the works of the likes of Pelican, Red Sparowes, Erlen Meyer, Mouth of the Architect, Year of No Light, etc.; they take the blueprint and stamp their own identity over it.
It’s hard not to like music that’s played well and has a firm sense of confidence and intent. Under the Sun know what they are doing and know they do it well.
Give them a listen. Well worth it.
Erlen Meyer – Erlen Meyer (Review)
Erlen Meyer are from France and play Post-Metal. This is their début.
Featuring a bold and striking album cover, the album itself is the sound of nightmares made musical and given a soundtrack.
This is dark, heavy and cathartic music. The walls of guitars and screaming vocals conjure negativity and rage. The overall effect Continue reading “Erlen Meyer – Erlen Meyer (Review)”