Metal – Page 541 – Wonderbox Metal

Interview with Arroganz

If you’re looking for a perfect example of a Death Metal band that combines emotive destruction with wanton slaughter then you’d be hard pressed to better Arroganz. Their third album Tod & Teufel is a must for all fans of interesting, individualistic Death Metal everywhere. I quizzed their guitarist -P- to find out more…

Give us a bit of background to ARROGANZ!

ARROGANZ are – K – (vocals / bass / guitars), – P – (guitars / vocals) and – T – (drums / vocals). The bands origin is the city of Cottbus (Ger). Nowadays we live in different cities.

What are your influences?

Life and death. A lot of dark arts and music are given to us and we have a heart for all its being as long as it is honest and filled with spirit. Surely you could hear some of the influences – but we don’t like to be compared with these and other bands all the time.

What are you listening to at the moment that you would like to recommend?

Just to reduce it to actual (2014) albums: Tryptikon – Melana Chasmata, Morbus Chron – Sweven, Ophis – Abhorrence In Opulence, Deathronation – Hallow The Dead, Dark Fortress – Venereal Dawn, Woods Of Desolation – As The Stars, Herder – Gods, Stench – Venture

What are your opinions on the current state of the Death Metal genre?

German death metal is growing more and more as t is recognized by the international underground better than ever.

Your take on Death Metal is a bit more individualistic and interesting than the norm and includes, to my ears, shades of atmospherics, Black Metal and My Dying Bride-esque melodics. What are your thoughts on this?

We just don’t go along with any trends. The construct of ARROGANZ contents and expresses a special philosophy and spirit. You can hear that certain combination of black/death/doom/rock’n roll elements and we feel free to do whatever we want to do! I don’t see anything ARROGANZ has in common with My Dying Bride. It is a great band but it serves a different style of music.

What did you want to achieve with your new release?

By releasing “Tod & Teufel” we manifest the line-up and its being in 2014.

We just made another big step!

Are you happy with how it turned out?

100% yes. You wouldn’t have been able to listen to it if it was different. We are satisfied as fuck and can’t wait to release that bastard. Our new label FDA REKOTZ is doing a great job and we get the support for “Tod & Teufel” that we need.

Talk to us about the lyrics

-K- writes the lyrics. The lines of “Tod & Teufel” are deep and dark philosophical – as well as spiritual. They are a strong outbreak of an inner being and very open. But instead of talking about them: Read them!

What’s the meaning of the title?

We don’t want to translate it into English. It is about freedom – the will and want to do, what you want and need to do.

How do you go about writing your songs?

-K- writes the songs. Then we arrange them together and try to get the best out of them. When we’re done doing this, I (-P-) make a preproduction. We all try to give the best amount of atmosphere, darkness and dirtiness to the songs. It is not only important to write it perfect, it is always about how to play it, too!

How do you see your songs/direction developing in the future?

We are a very creative band – of course we already got ideas for the next onslaught. We will go the way we started to go – the songs will sound like ARROGANZ and probably will be different…that’s our attitude.

What’s next for Arroganz?

The first shows and festivals are confirmed. After the release we’re going to play gigs and in 2015 we’re going to have a split EP with three other German death metal bands.

http://www.hellishhordes.com

https://www.facebook.com/hellishhordes

http://www.fda-rekotz.com/

Alitor – Eternal Depression (Review)

This is the début album from Serbian Progressive Thrash Metal band Alitor.

Alitor play Thrash Metal with bite and a Death-esque Progressive edge. Straight out of the gate it’s high-octane stuff and has an immediate charisma to it.

The musicianship of the band is first-rate. There is some very skilled and technical playing going on here. This is true of all of the instruments, even the oft-neglected bass.

The songs combine snappy Thrash riffs with piercing Progressive melodies and hybrid Thrash/Death Metal vocals. The singer is quite varied in his approach and frequently veers into more Death Metal territory than that of classic Thrash.

These are involving and complex songs. The drums, bass and guitars are all played and executed at an advanced level and the strong recording makes the most of this. Imagine a classic Thrash band, mix this with Death at their Proggiest, add a splash of Death Metal and Alitor will be the result.

With every song, (bar the first), being longer than 5 minutes this is an album that has plenty of depth and a lot to offer. Eternal Depression is somewhat of a misleading title as there is nothing to get depressed about here.

Have a listen to Alitor and let them blow you away.

Varathron – Untrodden Corridors of Hades (Review)

Varathron are a Black Metal band from Greece. This is their fifth album.

Untrodden Corridors of Hades is a nuanced Black Metal album that contains many different interpretations of the style all bound up in the band’s vision and flawless delivery.

The songs here have good variety within their chosen genre and Varathron work with rich textures to create their dark art.

Interesting riffs, Blackened melodies, subtle keyboard highlights, solid drums, expressive vocalisations; these are the ingredients that make this album what it is.

Whether playing winding Septic Flesh-esque riffs or revelling in the slower, slithering nature of Black Metal’s dark underbelly; Varathron ply their trade with skill and ease.

These songs are intricate beasts that rely on feeling and intensity of passion rather than stand-out catchy riffs. This is music that may be overt in delivery but it has a very subtle subtext that means it works its magic best gradually over time.

If you’re after one-dimensional blasting Black Metal then you’ve come to the wrong place. Listening to Varathron is more like listening to an involved ritual of summoning. This is Black Metal perfectly at ease with itself.

Varathron have released a complex listen that’s no less satisfying because of it.

Let the band take you on a tour and tread these corridors with them, you won’t regret it.

Temple of Void – Of Terror and the Supernatural (Review)

Temple of Void are from the US and this is their début album. They play Doom with an infusion of Death Metal.

Temple of Void’s 2013 Demo was a really enjoyable 3-track taster for the band, and this début full length takes those three songs, adds 5 more and results in Of Terror and the Supernatural.

Their sound is one of Doom Metal mixed with an Old-School Death Metal influence, which manifests in the faster sections, the deep vocals and the general air of rotting heaviness that the band exude with every diseased pore.

Opener The Embalmer’s Art is like a microcosm for the album as a whole. It has faster, gritty sections which are tempered by largely slow and Doom-y main parts and morbid, grim vocals. The guitar melodies are haunting, downright miserable and very, very powerful.

Somehow, even though this is only a début, Temple of Void have managed to produce a piece of rotten artistry that sounds as if it has taken decades to coalesce into being. The songs sound mature and so full of atmosphere and dark tidings it seems impossible that these are new songs and not long lost tracks from the vaults of Peaceville history.

Upon first listening to the album it sounds instantly welcoming and familiar without sounding stale or old-hat. Upon subsequent listens this feeling is reinforced and very quickly the album shapes up to be both an old friend and a stunning new discovery.

The vocals are deep growls that have an instant presence and charisma. Somewhat reminiscent of the singer of Opeth at his expressive, malevolent deepest; the singer of Temple of Void has a phenomenal bellow that really clears the cobwebs away.

I’m incredibly impressed with this. The quality of the riffs, the depth of feeling that they evoke and the whole structure of the songs in general speaks volumes about the talent of the band.

Crawling Death Metal-laced Doom has never sounded so good.

Essential listening.

Algoma – Reclaimed by the Forest (Review)

Algoma are a Sludge/Doom band from Canada and this is their début album.

Algoma play the kind of filthy, grim Sludge akin to the likes of Eyehategod, Fistula, Buzzov.en, etc.

The riffs are heavy and large and have the relentless inevitability of a slow-moving avalanche. Reclaimed by the Forest seems to be powered by these monstrous guitars, as if they have an energy all to themselves; self-generating and powerful enough to make everything else follow suite.

Vocally the singer has a voice that’s somewhere between a shout and a bark.

The band’s sound is murky and dense, as one would expect from a Sludge Metal group, but there’s a healthy amount of Doom to their style meaning they go slower than some similar bands.

At almost 42 minutes in length it doesn’t outstay its welcome and the infectious nature of the Sludgy guitars mean that it’s a good album to zone out to and become encased in the heaviness.

Each song is a smorgasbord of heaviness, crunchy guitars and bile.

It’s time to let the forest take you.

SSS – Limp.Gasp.Collapse. (Review)

SSS, (or Short Sharp Shock), are from the UK and play Thrash Metal/Crossover. This is their fourth album.

Featuring Metal that’s heavy, antagonistic and to-the-point, SSS’s latest album is a Thrash/Crossover onslaught that is as good an overview as any of where this particular style is at in 2014.

The songs are instantly catchy and memorable enough to stick around after a few spins. The chuggy guitars and stub-nosed riffs mean that subtlety is not a key part of their sound, but subtlety can be overrated; sometimes you just need to have some violent fun and SSS provide the soundtrack.

SSS manage to capture the intensity of Hardcore, the riffs of Thrash and the pure heaviness of Metal. This combination embodies the Crossover spirit and the songs rumble and chug along nicely, battering everything else aside with their enthusiasm and blunt delivery.

The vocals are gritty and belligerent shouts that perfectly straddle the Thrash/Hardcore divide. Added higher/lower screams/growls add emphasis and a bit of extremity when needed. There’s even a guest spot from the singer of Carcass.

Although I’m not a massive fan of this particular style SSS are clearly better than most.

Check out SSS and see what you think.

John, The Void – EP (Review)

John, The Void are a Post-Metal band from Italy and this is their début EP.

The band play Post-Metal with a gloomy, negative vibe and a bleak aura.

Harsh vocals are screamed out from behind a haze of darkness as the music sweeps away from the point of origination, obscuring all that’s happening with a miasma of night.

John, The Void manage to create and perpetuate this atmosphere over the course of the near 36 minute playing time with ease. This is not a one-dimensional album though as the band, in true Post-Metal style, take their time to build and expand upon the negativity that they create.

Heaviness and lightness, shades of darkness and a rich, varied palette are the mainstays of their sound and they do the genre justice.

Obvious reference points are the usual triumvirate of Cult of Luna/Isis/Neurosis but as is typical with bands of this ilk John, The Void put their own spin on things.

These songs seem to live and breathe in their own right, endowed with life by their mysterious creators to do their bidding. Their expansive, exploratory sound is always mired in the twilight realms and, let’s be honest, this only imbues the band with even more strength. Darkness is a powerful ally after all.

These are well-crafted songs that showcase this relatively new band as a great new addition to the Post-Metal pantheon.

If they can continue to improve on these already impressive writing skills then their first album should be stunning.

Seek this one out.

Alexanred – Always Active (Review)

Alexanred are from Finland and this is their début album. They play Industrial Rock/Metal.

This is catchy and atmospheric Industrial/Electonica-tinged Metal. If you think of bands like Neurotech and Deathstars, remove the Black Metal side and mix this with a Nine Inch Nails influence instead, you’ll have a good starting point for the band.

The tracks mostly hover around the 3 minute mark meaning that the songs are largely to the point and hook the listener in quite quickly. The music is quite emotive and has an atmospheric quality to it that recalls some of Devin Townsend’s work on occasion, (but only occasionally).

Always Active has a professional sound that befits music of this nature. It’s a powerful and driving sound that seems to push the songs along as much as it works for them.

The vocals vary from whispered, semi-spoken word parts to sung cleans and to event the odd shout. He sounds at his best when he’s singing though, as the spoken parts seem a little forced/repetitive sometimes.

This is a good début album, and if Alexanred can build on this then the next album should be very good indeed.

Cycle Beating – The Age of Depression (Review)

This is the début album from Germany’s Cycle Beating. They play a combination of Thrash/Groove Metal.

This is music with plenty of colour. The riffs are lively and energetic, giving the band an instant appeal.

The rhythm guitars lay a firm foundation for the band and although some of the rhythms are very much of the style, these are still enjoyable and the band are not short of good riffs. For me though it’s the leads that shine brightest as they lick and shred with style and verve.

The band employ catchy and interesting melodies with a distinct European flavour. This is not a band who play the overly-abused US-style of Groove/Metalcore, rather this is a real Metal band with proper Thrash roots and a modern slant to the music.

A good amount of variety and thought has clearly gone into this. They try, (and succeed), to add quite a few interesting and different things to the songs in order to stop them becoming repetitive or one dimensional. It works a treat and this is a very strong collection of Metal anthems.

Vocally we get blunt, ugly noises that are halfway between a shout and a growl. The singer reminds me more of a Hardcore vocalist in some ways, specifically fellow Germans Rykers. It’s a further way that they differentiate themselves from the average Metal band of this ilk.

Cycle Beating is a surprisingly good album. I know this sounds cynical, but usually when I see a band with the words Groove Metal in their description I can’t help but feel it’s going to sound quite generic. I’m very pleased to be proven wrong though and Cycle Beating have certainly done that. This is rip-roaring Metal that has enough style and individuality to earn itself a place in any Metal fan’s collection.

If you’re interested in Thrash Metal that has a modern slant but can’t stand the US/Metalcore/Commercial style of a lot of such groups then get your hands on The Age of Depression and get ready to rock out.

Highly recommended.

Convictors – Envoys of Extinction (Review)

This is the début album of Death Metallers Convictors who are from Germany.

Convictors play Old-School 90’s-style Death Metal with a crushing production and raging beats.

The melodic leads and heavy riffs work with the solid drumming to create enjoyable songs. Blast beats pound and guitars rage; Convictors play song-based Death Metal where a lot of thought has clearly gone into the formulation of the songs and the riffs.

Songs like Angel of Impurity show that the band can slam and groove their way with the best of them. It’s also a good example of their bassist being heard too, which is always a nice treat.

There really are some solid riffs here. It all sounds huge and as mentioned previously the band are not without songwriting talent. The end result is an enjoyable Death Metal album that shows how the style easily blows away lesser forms of music.

The vocals are deeper-than-deep growls that seem to blank out everything else when they’re present. He has the kind of voice that sends posers and wannabes running for safety.

I’ve really enjoyed this album. Check them out and see what you think.

For fans of Cannibal Corpse, Morbid Angel, Tortharry, Verdict, Supreme Lord, Six Feet Under, Immolation, Internal Bleeding, etc., etc. – loud, heavy Death Metal!