Heavy Metal – Page 39 – Wonderbox Metal

Andramelech/Serpent Noir – Gateway to the Nightside (Review)

A rather tasty split release here from two purveyors of dark Black Metal.

Andramelech offer up two largely, (but not wholly), mid-paced slices of exquisite Black Metal art. Speed is used as and when necessary but otherwise these tracks are more about the feeling conveyed and the atmosphere of blackened hellfire. The melodies, especially in The Voiceless Verb of Vovin, conjure up appropriate images and feelings of otherworldliness and tension. For 9 minutes the listener is made to feel distinctly uneasy – something bad is about to happen but who knows what? The songwriting here is first-rate and Andramelech are definitely a band to watch.

After Andramelech leave us with feelings of discomfort and incantations, Serpent Noir ease us in gently with a light chanting and invocation. Surely nothing bad can come of this? What could they be calling out to anyway, really? Whatever it is the next track, the 11 minute epic Shadow as a Portal channels it perfectly. A sense of forlorn longing and hopelessness slowly settles over this track. Something has been taken away and can never be returned. Despondent; what solution do you have except to succumb? Oblivion beckons and it is hungry.

Serpent Noir offer a complex and interesting take on Black Metal, and all the more pure for it. Exceptional drum work, atmospheric riffing and varied vocals make for a song that has more ideas and interest than a thousand Darkthrone-clones.

Two bands that are well worth a look.

Monte Penumbra – Heirloom of a Sullen Fall (Review)

A rich amalgamation of Black Metal and Doom; Monte Penumbra’s début album may be relatively short at only 35 minutes, but it is packed to the hilt with texture and interesting things going on.

Slow, doom-laden Black Metal played with skill and passion; Monte Penumbra know their art and know how to get the most out of their songs. Interesting riffs, atmospheric interludes, tempo changes; this is bleak-yet-Black Metal that hits the spot; sludge hijacked by Black Metal and bent to its will.

The vocals are varied – ranging from chants, screams to powerful almost-singing; a welcome change from the generic.

This is an enjoyable album for those times when you’re in the mood for something a bit more brooding and well-paced, thoughtful and introspective yet still drenched in Black Metal’s distinctive colours.

Evergreen Refuge – As the Fires Burn (Review)

Evergreen Refuge play instrumental Black Metal with hints of Post-Metal mixed in. Long songs, plenty of atmosphere and feeling as well as some fuzzed-up aggression and Black Metal mastery are all thrown in the mix.

On this release the songs are especially long and epic, and manage to hold attention throughout with clever use of dynamics and musical storytelling. You can almost feel the nature on this release; feel the cold breeze on the mountaintops and the eagles soaring high above.

Being an instrumental album there are no vocals but with music of this quality they are unnecessary. The feelings evoked by the compositions within are more than enough to carry the listener to the wilds of the natural environment where Evergreen Refuge dwell. As you sit and absorb what is going on here the full force of nature either crashes down on you or merely hints at its presence, depending on the part of the song. Ambient, single-guitar melodies or drums, Metal and chaos; they do it well either way.

An epic album, and one well worth the time.

Nightbringer/Dødsengel – Circumambulations of the Solar Inferno (Review)

Nightbringer start off proceedings, and the first word I think of is “Apocalyptic”. Theirs is the sound of the end times. Blistering Black Metal played with a depth of passion that is utterly convincing in its portrayal and delivery. This is ritualistic in scope and has the conviction of the fanatic.

Filthy dynamics, blackened songwriting and searing melodies imprint these incantations on the brain, ensuring their longevity in times to come.

Nightbringer provide two blackened hymns and then make way for Dødsengel. Starting with a very ominous chanting build up; the excitement and expectations reach fever pitch before the inevitable release. I was expecting it to culminate in a blastbeat inferno, but unexpectedly they instead opt for a mid-paced attack that works even better. The mood is thus set for their enticing take on Black Metal. Traditional-style with plenty of interest and feelings of darkness and hate in abundance. A good variety in vocals and tempo make these songs most enjoyable. Especially good is the second of Dødsengel’s songs which is a 12 minute epic of atmosphere and Black Metal aggression, with even some Post-Metal elements creeping into the mix.

Dødsengel may not be as elemental as Nightbringer, but they are certainly complementary in style. I am definitely drawn to explore further works by both bands. This is a top quality release in its own right however, and if you are partial to a bit of ritualistic occult Black Metal then you can do a lot worse than this.

A special note must go to the artwork. Daemon Worship always seem to have very high quality artwork to go with their releases, but I have to say this one has taken my fancy in particular. Excellent work.

Interpreter – Introspection (Review)

So what do we have here then? Some sort of Black Metal/Post-Metal/Sludge album? Actually it’s kind of hard to say. Elements of all said genres, and more, make up this impressive album.

Too fast to be merely Doom; too metal to be merely sludge; too aggressive to be merely Post-Metal; too encompassing of other genres to be merely Black Metal…I could go on. Suffice to say that for all its variety it still retains a cohesive identity that marks it out as a Metal album, so as far as genre goes maybe that’s enough.

Almost every track brings new surprises – a different style of vocals here; a change of pace and style there – but it all flows together into a seamless whole that delivers a very complete, very diverse and weighty collection of songs. The vocal styles range from throaty shouts and growls to Black Metal shrieking; it’s all here. Interpreter were previously unknown to me and as such I did not expect this release to be of such outstanding quality. But it is. Oh yes.

Fusing the best of the Sludge, Post-Metal, Doom, Black Metal, (etc.) genres into a seamless whole, Interpreter are like the proverbial breath of fresh air. A top quality recording job rounds this release off nicely and i can only add to this review by heartily recommending you get this as soon as you can.

Not for the average.

Weapon – Naga: Daemonum Praeteritum (Review)

Oh this is wonderfully dirty underground Black Metal! Gritty and raw. The kind of sound that can garrotte the unwary listener at 100 yards.

This is a collection of three demos, (Within the Flesh of the Satanist, Violated Hejab and Para Bhakti…Salvation), all remastered by Lars Broddesson of Marduk. The sound is brutal and distorted; filthy and fuzzy. This is the sound of a band expressing themselves with whatever means at their disposal – straight for the jugular.

For the main the vocals are guttural shouts – almost what you’d expect from old-school Death Metal rather than Black Metal, but it suits the style well. There is also some variety in places; from almost-spoken harshness to slightly higher-pitched-but-still-quite-deep; enough to keep the listener interested.

The music is slithering, sharp and surprisingly rhythmic in the drum department on occasion. The riffs are simple and classic for the most part, but they are not afraid to experiment as the needs of the song dictate, with plenty of interest and ideas to be had throughout. The emphasis here is on expressing feelings of darkness and hate and vomiting them forth into the recording, a tone which is captured well.

The sound may be primitive but that shouldn’t put you off – here we have some perfect examples of aggressive underground Black Metal that any true fan of the genre can’t help but appreciate.

Overall I would rate this release very highly indeed. It’s non-generic, interesting and has plenty of feeling and passion. What more could you want?

Caves of Glass – Caves of Glass (Review)

Ever wonder what would happen if a band like Vinterriket stopped playing their brand of atmospheric ambient Black Metal and instead started playing atmospheric ambient Post-Metal instead? Of course you have. Well wonder no more! The result would probably sound much akin to Caves of Glass. This is my initial impression at any rate and it serves as a useful starting point for their sound.

From fuzzed up heavy riffing, to classical instrumentation, this is a varied and complete journey into feeling and effect. Heavy guitars meet Moby-style effects and ambience to chilling effect; all wrapped up in the type of recording normally reserved for Black Metal; good but grimey. This is beautiful music not afraid to get mired in the sludge. The vocals as well cover all points – clean, growled, Vinterriket-style almost-too-high-to-hear-screeching…very impressive.

This is a collaboration between members of about 6 different groups, so that would presumably account for the variety on offer here, as well as just how well everything fits together. All members obviously know what they are doing and must work well together as the songwriting and grasp of dynamics on display certainly equal the best of the Post-Metal bands around today. Some of the parts of this album are just hair-raising. They are seriously that good.

This is a band that takes you on a journey through darkness and light, aggression and peace. An album for people who enjoy the distance travelled as well as the final destination. An album that grows and gets better with repeated listens. An album that has a lot to offer open minds and adventurers in sound.

I came across this band essentially by accident – it was recommended to me via Twitter. Now I’m recommending it in turn. You won’t be disappointed.

Favourite track: Barren Earth

Arfsynd – Hesychia (Review)

Hailing from Sweden; Arfsynd play underground Black Metal with plenty of both melody and bite. The overall feeling conjured by this album is one of an evil majesty.

Epic, soaring melodies juxtapose against solid Black Metal drums while a distinctly non-standard Black Metal voice shouts over the top of it. The slight clash of styles, (simplicity of the drums, brutal hoarseness of the vocals, epic melodies and riffs), works better than it might otherwise sound, coming together to create songs of real character that are instantly memorable and enjoyable.

As touched on; the vocals are not the normal Black Metal shrieking that you may expect; rather they are hoarse, ugly, shouted things – someone has been dredged up from the bowels of Hades to provide these vocals and they are making sure that their mark is felt. Extra vocal styles are used to accompany the main ones throughout this release, adding another layer and further interest to the music.

With this album though it’s always the intricate, impressive use of melody that I return to. The guitars and bass are used expertly to provide such a wealth of feeling and depth that the music sounds alive and vital.

This is no run-of-the-mill colder-than-thou generic Black Metal. This is real, living, vibrant and essential. Highly enjoyable.

Pantheon of Blood – Tetrasomia (Review)

Scything, razor-sharp Black Metal from Finland. This is their third release and shows much promise for the future.

There are good melodies aplenty on this release, with a sound that is at once on the raw side but not really enough to qualify as “necro” or to obscure the music that is on display here. The vocals are suitably high and screeching, (in a good way), so there are no problems in this department. The instruments are all played competently and the band have a good grasp of the basics of songwriting, which can only develop further in the future.

I enjoyed this release – it is relatively short, but then it is an EP, and should be viewed as a taster for a (hopefully) upcoming full-length. I look forward to hearing what they come up with.

Give them a listen and see what you think.

Perditor – Divine Riddles (Review)

Perditor are a Black Metal band from Holland. They play a razor-sharp brand of Black Metal that has a palpable aura of menace about it. Indeed; this is not for the faint-hearted. This is an hour of evil music.

Underneath the grimness though is not just a band going through the motions; this is the real deal and thankfully the music can more than keep up with the passion on display here. The songs are well-written and complex enough to keep interest while still having a scything, brutal, black heart. There are plenty of well-thought out blackened melodies on offer here, and a lot of ideas that elevate this release far above the run-of-the-mill.

It would be criminal to not mention the vocals as well. While sticking predominantly to the style that one would expect for a Black Metal album; the vocalist is highly accomplished and has a surprising range and versatility that, like the music, is much better than the average.

With this album Perditor acknowledge the past while stamping their own identity on the Black Metal template; twisting it to serve their will rather than being a slave to it. And thus true power and purpose was born.

This is a superior album in every way. If you have a taste for the blackened art then you should seek this release out immediately. There is a depth and longevity to this album that you will not want to miss. Highly recommended.

Favourite track: Servus Diaboli.