Heavy Metal – Page 39 – Wonderbox Metal

Sanity’s Rage – You Are What You Swallow (Review)

Imagine, if you will; Anthrax and Kreator jamming together to create an unholy Thrash-tastic side project. Sanity’s Rage are that theoretical band.

Hailing from Belgium this is an absolute stormer of an album. Tight playing, and galloping, exciting riffs mean there is never a dull moment. A strong production accentuates the dynamic songwriting of each track and there is real bite to these songs. This is no nostalgia-fest. Rather than looking back to the past they drag it fully into the present and it’s like the Thrash heyday is alive and well and centred on Belgium.

Each song on here is focused, mature, and full of more chops, riffs and solos than most bands manage in an album. And it’s relentless. No pseudo-ballads here; just pure, unadulterated Thrash metal.

Pummelling. Pounding. Shredding. Shred-fest. I could go on, but you get the idea. Like a breath of fresh air this album fills you up with all of the goodness of Thrash Metal, before ripping your face off with speed and precision steel.

Xothist – Xothist (Review)

Xothis play the kind of Black Metal that separates the true Black Metal affectionados from the wannabes. There is nothing even remotely pretty or commercial here.

Two tracks of wicked Black Metal full of spite and mystery, each song 20:47 in length. The songs are long but not dull, and have several shades of light and dark that Xothist move through like a hidden predator.

This is a very underground, lo-fi recording with fuzzy emotive guitars and drums buried under so much rawness that they are like a pulse; sometimes unnoticeable but always vital.

The vocals are of the really high-pitched, scratchy, almost-static variety that I enjoy so much. Sometimes it can be hard to ascertain where the vocals stop and the guitars start, and vice versa. All of which just adds to the the experience.

This release travels from ambience to blasting and all points in between. If you are a true fan of Black Metal then this should be right up your foggy street.

Colosso – Abrasive Peace (Review)

The music is state-of-the-art bleeding-edge Extreme Metal, but the vocals are pure Death Metal; powerful and going straight for the throat. Colosso combine the best parts of bands like Behemoth and Nile, add a sprinkling of cyber-Metal akin to Fear Factory at their heaviest, and cap it off with focused brutality.

The songs tear themselves out of the speakers with razor sharp claws and venomous fangs ready to slay everyone in sight. This is music not to be messed with. The album boasts a thoroughly modern production and sound, and all of the benefits that 21st century technology can offer. In fact this is a perfectly judged combination of technological and traditional Metal – rather than swamping the metal with bleeps and break-beats to create some hybrid that is neither techno nor Metal, here the cyber-Metal influences serve to merely accentuate the relevant parts of the songs, while the very Metal guitars, drums and vocals take centre stage.

Eight tracks of thundering Metal later and the album is done. Oh, apart from the obligatory throwaway techno-Metal remix track of course, which does somewhat dilute the essence of the main album by being a rather poor closure after the last track proper has faded away. Nonetheless, this is a minor quibble in what is otherwise an exemplary album and a perfect example of what modern Extreme/Death Metal should sound like in 2013.

As a side-note there is also an instrumental version of this album out there named Peaceful Abrasiveness. That should tell you a lot about the quality of the music here and its ability to stand alone. And with the vocals added…well, that just makes it even better.

Verbum Verus – Melkiresha (Review)

Unholy Black Metal from the Netherlands – this album is a powerhouse of occult music, straining at the walls of reality and communing with the dread beings that lie beyond.

Things start out very promising indeed with the opening hymn The Fourth Kingdom – a 10 minute Black Metal master-class in modern darkness. From here things progress nicely through the album with every song contributing something to the whole. The final song is an ambient invocation that ends things appropriately.

Solid songwriting and an evil atmosphere mean this album evokes the imagery of the underworld and has the musical class to carry it off without sounding like a pretender to the Black Metal throne. A good sound, good playing and impassioned vocals elevate this above the hordes to deliver what is, in essence, a modern Black Metal album that can hold its head up proud and stand tall alongside the Watain’s and Deathspell Omega’s of the world.

Really enjoyable. Highly recommended for anyone who enjoys variety and passion – demonic darkness from the Netherlands.

Coven 13 – Destiny of the Gods (Review)

Well this is an enjoyable romp of an album! Traditional Heavy Metal mixed with elements of Revered Bizarre-style Doom, 70’s psychedelic influences and some good old rock ‘n’ roll swagger for good measure.

Attitude and plain old metal fun is the order of business here. Not to imply that they are a novelty band or “jokey” in anyway. Not at all; rather they have a joyousness to their sound that I imagine would translate very well live and that their performances would be, well, fun!

Traditional song structures and strong choruses abound, as well as some nice fretwork and solid tub bashing. The vocals immediately strike the listener as the most noticeable element of the band as the sheer enthusiasm and character that they have is a welcome change – there’s no way you could accuse this singer of not giving his all. The vocals appear to be imbued with the full force of his personality in a way that is relatively rare these days. In fact the entire album sounds out of place in today’s modern metal climate in many ways as it is a very individual record with scant regard for trends and cliques, etc.

A refreshing blast from the past come to liven up the present.

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.