Noctem are from Spain and this is their third album.
The band play Blackened Death Metal with a bit of pomp and plenty of bite.
After a symphonic intro the first track proper Apsu Dethroned wastes no time introducing you to the band’s particular brand of blasting and heaviness. What is not quite as expected, however, is the orchestral accompaniment that forms a nice link to the intro.
It’s a great touch that precedes the actual singer who belches out occult growls with the fervour of the possessed. His is an unrelenting, uncompromising style that gives no quarter and knows no mercy.
The rest of the album continues the theme of a Death Metal band with Blackened influences that incorporates plenty of interesting ideas and sounds into their Extreme Metal repertoire.
The brutality and blast beats of their core Death Metal sound share space with more melodic riffs and a healthy dose of Black Metal influences. The orchestral sounds/choirs/keyboards add a deeper layer to Noctem’s identity and are embedded well rather than just sounding tacked on.
The musicianship is first rate, with the drumming being a precision assault and guitar solos and leads flashing by like lightning. It’s all wrapped up in a stellar production job that allows everything to shine and just sounds crushing.
None of this would have any longevity of course if it wasn’t for the songs themselves. The band show quite capably that they can write a good tune and Exilium is full of them.
If you take elements of bands like Behemoth, Nile, Atrocity and Septic Flesh, mix them in a blender and make a tasty hate-filled frothy shake then Noctem would be the cream.
A high quality, ambitious release; Noctem have proven they have what it takes to become forerunners in the Extreme Metal world.
This is the début album from Exordium Mors who are a Black Metal band from New Zealand.
This is Black Metal with a Thrash influence and songs that are interesting and well developed. The riffs are powerful and propel the songs onwards and upwards in a blaze of raw melody and colourful leads.
The band have a strong grasp of dynamics and have lots of ideas that they pour into The Apotheosis of Death. This makes for a fascinating and satisfying listen as Exordium Mors provide an important lesson in Extreme Metal in 54 minutes.
It’s a chaotic frenzy of Blackened Thrash and bloody sacrifice. It’s frenetic, impassioned and coursing with vitality. It’s imbued with a terrible majesty and undeniable presence.
Exordium Mors have built up their own kingdom of Extreme Metal and lord it over their subjects with the confidence of those who know they are untouchable in their own lands.
The Apotheosis of Death is varied and interesting and you’re never sure what dark labyrinth the band are going to explore next. The savage Blackened brutality of the songs is a multidimensional, expertly realised and fully textured Extreme Metal reality that the band have carved out for themselves.
This is an advanced album that’s probably not for the casual listener. For hardened Black/Extreme Metal fans though this is what you’ve been waiting for.
Vermin Womb are from the US and this is their début EP.
Made up of members with an impressive Extreme Metal pedigree, (Primitive Man, Clinging to the Trees of a Forest Fire), this releases takes that collective knowledge and experience and funnels it into a veritable natural disaster’s worth of extremity and violence given form.
This is a combination of Sludge, Grind, Death Metal and pissed off Hardcore. It’s not for the faint-hearted and sounds like the end of the world is coming. It’s brutal, nasty, and very, very heavy.
The songs here combine the ferocity and general disdain of Hardcore/Grindcore with the murky evil of Sludge and the brutality of Death Metal. There’s even a Blackened edge.
Take Eyehategod, Brutal Truth and Anaal Nathrakh, mash them all up, put the remains in a blender, force feed the resultant slop into a few hapless victims and the resulting screams of pain and agony will sound a bit like Vermin Womb.
The singer is probably one of these unfortunates as it sounds like he’s been gargling liquid nightmares and is now vomiting forth the worst of his experiences.
This is impressively ugly and it takes real determination and talent to create Metal this heavy and grotesque.
Absolutely horrible music that you can’t afford to miss out on.
Columns are from the US and this is their début album. They are a Grindcore band.
Columns play Grind that’s groovy and passionate. This is the kind of music that ignites pits and gets even reluctant Metalheads to start moving. Even when they’re playing at top speed and blast beats are flying everywhere the band have a definite swagger and rhythm to their grinding destruction.
Think rhythm, groove, brutality and individuality; think Pig Destroyer meets Aborted with the odd Carcass riff. That’s right, it’s wet-dreams-made-reality time.
The music is full of high energy riffs, crushing chugs, eviscerating speed and the occasional, remarkably Rock ‘n’ Roll, solo. For songs that are this short and brutal there is a surprising amount of variety and interest to be had.
The vocals are deep and growled or higher and intense. The singer has a good voice and range with some variety between these two ends of the spectrum occurring throughout the tracks as well.
Please Explode has a Hell of a lot of personality and each song is a hothouse of great riffs and brutal design. The thing Columns excel at, however, is ensuring that the songs become more than the sum of their parts. These riffs make full use of the band’s songwriting skills to really maximise the impact they have throughout the songs.
Rather then merely a few, (or a lot of), riffs stitched together to create a fast song, as a lot of Grind bands do, Columns create dynamic and purposeful riffs that gel with every other instrument and work synergisticly with the rest of the tracks to create a complete listening experience. It’s even more remarkable that this happens in songs that average about the 2 minute mark.
This is impressive, modern Grind that has a unique identity. It’s destined to be mentioned in the same breath as bands like Pig Destroyer as forerunners of the genre.
I loved this album. I’ll be very surprised if this doesn’t place highly on my year end list.
Essential listening for Extreme Metal fans everywhere.
This is the second album from French Black Metallers The Great Old Ones.
They play Black Metal with a good spread of Post-Metal thrown in, or, Post-Black Metal as it’s otherwise known.
This is Black Metal brimming with atmosphere and awash with colour and texture. A progressive and diverse album, this has a host of captivating passages and sections that transport the listener to another plane of existence.
The Black Metal is piercing and caustic whilst the Post-Metal is haunting and enticing. Mixed together and swathed in atmosphere these songs are the epitome of expansive and epic Black Metal. Cascadia clearly doesn’t have a monopoly on this style of Extreme music.
The emotional resonance and dark moods of these songs should not be underestimated. Each track adds to the mystique of the album; each one a further chapter in the story, a further unfurling of the nightmare. Based on H.P. Lovecraft, how else could it be?
From the soaring heights of iceblasted mountains to the darkest pits of the blackest abyss, this is a journey that will scar forever.
In an age where more and more music is short-lived and another discarded consumable, this album is anything but.
After listening to the rather impressive Thunderwar EP The Birth of Thunder, I thought it best to quiz the band about it and find out a little bit more…
For those that are unfamiliar with your band – introduce yourself! Give us a bit of background to Thunderwar.
Hi there!
My name’s Witold Ustapiuk and I’m the lead guitarist at Thunderwar. We play old-school Death Metal, combining the non-compromising feel of the American scene with the atmosphere of the Swedish one, adding a little Black Metal flavour to it.
Give us a bit of background to Thunderwar.
My band has a short, but turbulent history. In July 2012, we released the first single, containing the song “Eagle of Glory”, which we again placed on “The Birth of Thunder” EP, as a bonus track. After sometime we decided to change our name, due to various, more or less significant, reasons. In the beginning of 2013 we went into the studio to record our début album, but were not satisfied with the final effect of the session, so we made a a decision not to publish the material. Towards the end of 2013 we released “The Birth of Thunder” with our own means.
What are your influences?
For me, the greatest inspiration are the Heavy Metal classics. They are the ones that taught me to view the genre in a conscious way. While creating the songs I mostly get inspired by what I’m currently listening to and it doesn’t necessarily have to be Metal. Still it doesn’t mean that I want to have elements like The Devil’s Blood or Blue Öyster Cult, smuggled into Thunderwar. I try to convey a certain emotional content through my music and to introduce the listener to a certain atmosphere.
What are you listening to at the moment that you want to recommend?
At present, I’ve been completely blown away by the latest Inquisition album called “Obscure Verses of the Multiverse”. Consistent, mature and with an original sound. This album puts me into a metaphysical trance from the first till the last second. I’d also like to recommend bands like Tribulation and Cult of Fire.
Your first EP is very accomplished – how did the songs come about?
Thunderwar’s songs are usually created over a long stretch of time. I bring the ready riffs to our practice room, and together with the band, we work on them and get them in order. We try to get all the details perfect and think the whole arrangement through. It gives us a lot of satisfaction, since, as we can see, this system pays off. Our EP’s met with lots of enthusiasm of critics from all around the world.
Tell us a bit more about the lyrics to the songs.
Our lyrics tell mostly about ancient beliefs and religions, forbidden cosmic cults and blasphemous rituals. Using different metaphors we intend to pay homage to our gods and convey ideas, which are very important to us. For example the lyrics to the song Vimana are based upon the themes from the Hindu manuscript “Mahabharatha”.
Are you happy with how the EP ended up?
In spite of the many complications and problems connected to the finishing of the EP, I can say, that finally we did everything, within our powers, to achieve the best effect possible. Our music now, reaches to the regions we would have never thought of. We consider this a great success.
What’s next for Thunderwar?
At present we’re engrossed in the work on the record and the band’s image. Towards the end of the year, we’re going into the Hertz studio to record the full album.
In three weeks we’re supporting Obituary, and this will probably be the last show before the releasing of the record, unless of course we receive proposals to play some bigger gigs before we find the record label.
The Parallax come from Canada and this is their début album of Extreme Progressive Metal.
The closest band for comparison would be the mighty Between the Buried and Me, although to the credit of The Parallax they manage to use the template but don’t sound like a rip off. Another good example of this would be a band like The Odious who also share the Between the Buried and Me influence but like The Parallax they have their own sound built onto it. Other bands that The Parallax are reminiscent of in places are the more recent Strapping Young Lad material and Lascaille’s Shroud.
Like Between the Buried and Me the band are hard to categorise as they have so much going on, but I suppose you could brand them as playing Extreme Progressive Metal, if you really wanted to pigeon hole.
The band have epic, sprawling songs full of high speed Metal and highly melodic riffing, where the solos and leads are plentiful and played better than most.
Keyboards and effects wash over the music in waves. Piano sections and 70-s style duelling synths are common.
Harsh vocals roar and clean vocals soar. The singer has a very good voice and ably manages the vocals whether they be Power Metal cleans, abrasive roars or anything else.
It’s all very well done and very proficiently played. As you can probably tell from the above the band are certainly not lacking in ambition. There are only 5 tracks but there is an hour of music here, including the epic 23 minute splendour of The Reformatting.
The sound is clear but my only slight complaint, (and it’s only a small thing really), is that it could do with a bit more depth to the sound; it sounds curiously compressed. It stops registering after a while, but when you first listen to this album after another band who, say, have a rounder sound to their recording, it stands out. Definitely not the end of the world, and it might not even be an issue for some people, but just a note for next time.
All in all this is a talented band who have produced a whopper of a début. I have no hesitation in recommending this album at all. If your tastes run to the Progressive and the interesting then Obliquity of the Ecliptic is for you. I fully expect this band to be snapped up by some enterprising record label soon, so get in on the action now.
This is the latest album from Australia’s Eskhaton.
The band play Blackened Death Metal and don’t waste any time introducing the listener to their thick, filthy sound.
The reverberating vocals sound like they are being howled out of a void and the music similarly evokes images of warp storms and dimension-ripping tornadoes.
This is savage, bestial and relentless. Like some form of primeval Death Metal ritual, swathed in the occult and daring you to lock stares with it. I wonder who will blink first?
Raging guitar assaults compete with inhuman drumming which always seems just one step away from the drummer losing all control and just beating his kit into a pile of rubbish.
It’s only on the fourth track, (and title track), where we start to see the first signs of let up in the hyper-extreme blasting, with a mid-paced section easing us into the song. At least for 30 seconds or so, after which it’s back to the mayhem as chaos and unholy cacophonies are unleashed once more.
Eskhaton epitomise brutal, Extreme Metal with some lightning flashes of Blackened melody striking out from the maelstrom. Are you brave enough to risk getting caught in their way?
Meteor is the latest album from Polish Grind band Antigama.
Straight away you can tell that the latest Antigama album is just a top quality Grindcore release; the sound, the vocals, the playing, the delivery – it’s all spot on.
The recording is full and complete, with a devastating sound that makes the most of the band’s aggressive heaviness.
The vocals are brutal and satisfying with enough variety to keep things interesting but sounding good enough that the variety is a bonus and not something that’s necessary.
The playing of the band is tight and focused. They alternate between fast and aggressive, staccato stop-starts, brutal blasting and atmospheric heaviness with ease and the confidence of true professionals.
They’re also not afraid to experiment, with electronics and effects on some songs as well as guest and alternative vocals; it all adds up to something special.
Another solid, top quality release from these Grindcore masters; Meteor should see them at the head of the modern Extreme Metal pack.
Enthroned are a veteran Belgian Black Metal band that need little introduction; this is their 10th album.
It opens with a massive ominous intro. Normally I’m against pointless intros as they usually serve little purpose, but this one is compelling and the horns sound immense; it sets the scene well for the approaching carnage.
It takes time to build up to a fast tempo; instead it starts slowly and ritualistically, taking advantage of mood and atmosphere. Once sated however, Hell is then unleashed and the band rip forth with scorching Satanic Black Metal.
For a band who are so well established and have so many releases there is still a hunger at work here and it comes across in the songs.
Some of the riffs and melodies they use are extremely tasty and designed to evoke feelings of almost tense uneasiness. Extra effects, horns, etc. further add to the mood and Enthroned show themselves to be on the top of their game. Just listen to the start of Lamp of Invisible Lights for example. I mean come on! Other bands just aren’t trying by comparison. The album is full of moments like these.
The band have an evolved sense of dynamics and the songwriting on this release is very enjoyable. They appear to have developed an aura of corruption and awe-filled terror for this album. It reminds me of the recent masterpiece by Corpsessed, only filtered through a razor-sharp Black Metal lens.
The band explore a variety of interesting ideas and songs structures within the confines of their chosen genre. This is not an album that sounds repetitive, and even features that rarest of things – the, (whisper it!), Black Metal guitar solo.
Enthroned appear to just be improving with age. This is a brilliant album and a must for all fans of Extreme Metal. I really can’t say enough good things about Sovereigns; this is exactly what I want from Black Metal in 2014.
Noctem are from Spain and this is their third album.
Wonderbox Metal 