Metal – Page 542 – Wonderbox Metal

Hideous Divinity – Cobra Verde (Review)

This is the second album of Death Metal from Italian band Hideous Divinity.

Here we have a blistering Technical/Brutal Death Metal band that plays crushing music with furious abandon.

Mixing elements of Hate Eternal, Decapitated, Nile, Behemoth and Hour of Penance; Hideous Divinity have come to destroy.

Hideous Divinity have a powerful sound and seem more than comfortable with their playing skills. Importantly, the band never neglect the songs themselves; although they have a Technical side to their sound they know that a song is more than just playing in a complex way.

As such, these songs are structured well and use their playing time to good effect. Emotive riffs and studied brutality is the name of the game here, and the band do it expertly.

The band’s twisting, dark music is an exemplar of what intelligently crafted Death Metal can sound like in 2014. Songwriting skills, technicality, brutality and the occasional nod to subtlety – these are key elements in the Hideous Divinity sound and the band have really taken them to heart.

This is an album the band should be proud of, and one I’ll be spinning for a good while to come.

Interview with Annihilation

Annihilation have recently released their stellar new EP The Undivided. This is a big step up from their, (still enjoyable), début and I was keen to find out more about this exciting new phase in their development…

Tell us all about Annihilation and where you came from.

Annihilation was formed in 2004 in a small town called Almeirim (80 kms nearby Lisbon). I was living in England back then and was invited to start the band with a couple of friends from my hometown. Since then we have progressed and at the moment I am the only original remaining member.

What are your influences?

I draw influences from everything, all aspects of life and death, the universe, the day by day, and especially music, I mean all kinds of music styles not just metal.

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

Carnality (sick band from Italy) “Dystopia” is their latest release, the last album from Calm Hatchery called “Fading Reliefs“, At The Gates (love their new album), Hideous Divinity (another sick bastards from Italy, Nader Sadek, just to name a few.

There has been quite a bit of change in the Annihilation camp it seems. The Undivided shows a different side to the band than Against the Storm. Tell us about these changes and how they came about.

Well every band passes through line up changes. With Annihilation I always wanted to have a good vibe within the band. If I feel that someone is not on the same level as the other band members the best option is for him to leave. I don’t wan’t people to think that I’m arrogant, but in a band if you do not share the same vision as the remaining band members or have the same goals you do not belong on this band. I have been always the main composer in this band, all the songs are written in guitar by me and then I share my ideas with the rest of the guys and we start working them and maturing the songs, and basically that’s why “The Undivided” is different than “Against The Storm“. I call it evolution, “Against The Storm” was written between 2008 and 2010 since then I grew up as a musician, songs started to became more intricate and eerie and that was always one of the goals for Annihilation.

Explain the concept behind The Undivided

The Undivided is the first part of our next album that will be released in 2015. The album will be called “The Undivided Wholeness Of All Things”. Lyrically “The Undivided” focuses on the journey of Human energy, or the soul if you want to call it like that, through life and death. How we are connected to the Universe as one entity but have been separated or divided from that source.

Do you have any specific goals for this EP?

Well the EP was intended to be a demo to send for labels, but our PR suggested that we should release it as an EP, so the goal is to get signed by a label to proper support us on releasing our next albums. To tour abroad is also one of our main goals. Lets see where this EP will take us.

Annihilation Band Is there anything on the EP you’re not satisfied with?

Nothing worth to mention. We will rewrite and record these songs again for our next album, since the EP and the album are meant to be connected as one song divided in 3 parts – “The Undivided”, “Wholeness”, “Of All Things”

What’s your songwriting process?

I compose the main riffs and structure them before presenting my ideas to the band. After this first process is completed we then start working on the songs as a band and sharing ideas so that the songs can sound even better.

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

Even more intricate and eerie than they are now, dissonant chords, weird drum patterns. Basically to continue evolving as musicians and as a band.

What does the future hold for Annihilation?

Hopefully a good label and touring abroad. But until that happens we will continue to write music and to release albums.

Centinex – Redeeming Filth (Review)

Centinex are from Sweden and play Death Metal. This is their ninth album and somewhat of a return as it’s their first album after reforming.

Centinex are one of those bands that I’ve been aware of since seemingly forever and yet have never had the opportunity to hear for one reason or another. It’s been somewhat of an oversight for sure, but one that has now been corrected. As such, we turn to Redeeming Filth.

This is an album that gets straight to the point; 10 songs in just under 33 minutes and the band mean business.

This is the original Swedish Death Metal, fully authentic with an immense chainsaw-powered production. They sound absolutely huge and ready to slay.

Redeeming Filth is an album of punchy Death Metal with crunchy, heavy guitars and vocals that sound like they’re biting through a black hole.

There is a definite energy to these songs. It may be Swedish Death Metal but it doesn’t sound dated or mouldy in the slightest. I have a soft spot for this style and this sounds as fresh as any Death Metal subgenre out there. Centinex have taken a the classic sound and imbued it with life once more. No mean feat.

The songs, quite simply, destroy. They’re enjoyable romps through ultra-heavy territory and feature guitar riffs that sound capable of toppling buildings.

Well, if this is indicative of Centinex’s other works then it’s definitely a tragedy I’ve missed out on them for so long.

Great band, great listen.

Isenblast – Unleashing the Demon Scourge (Review)

Isenblast are from the US and this is their début EP. They play Black Metal.

This is raw, underground Black Metal with a sound like infernal nail scraping and bountiful Blackened energy.

Unleashing the Demon Scourge sounds exactly like it does just that. This is blistering Black Metal that isn’t a 100% blastfest but still never lets up with the intensity regardless.

The band play like the infernal fires are after them and even inject lightning solos into their heady Black Metal mix. I particularly enjoy these parts as the band seem to have an innate ear for a quality solo and the rhythm guitar usually settles into a good Blackened groove while this is going on.

The vocals are another highlight as they’re just so throat-scrapingly raw. High pitched screaming may be the usual Black Metal style but this singer does it as well as any and it sounds just great.

Each of these four songs is well-written and shows a band that are hungry to prove themselves, and with this EP they certainly have.

It’s always a pleasure to hear unadorned Black Metal played with passion, energy and integrity. Isenblast have crafted a great collection of songs here and I greatly look forward to their first full length.

Highly recommended for all lovers of the dark arts.

Saille – Eldritch (Review)

Saille are from Belgium and this is their third album. They play Symphonic Black Metal.

Eldritch boasts a strong, sharp, clear sound that the band put to good use showcasing their aggressive brand of Symphonic Black Metal.

A punchy drum sound underpins Blackened melodies and serrated vocals whilst haunting, malevolent keyboards play over the top.

I particularly like the vocalist’s screams as they seem quite passionate and unhinged. His is not a performance that’s merely by the numbers; it’s a forceful and powerful delivery. Understated cleans also make appearances adding another element to the band’s sound.

The band make good use of Dimmu Borgir-style keyboards and sound effects without them ever becoming overbearing or ostentatious. Saille are comparable to an older Dimmu Borgir in other ways too; this is Symphonic Black Metal with real bite and an underground feeling to it despite the shine and polish the album has.

The songs are fast, churning affairs that are enhanced by the Classical influences. They’re enjoyable and it’s nice to hear the atmosphere mixed with real aggression and hatred.

Eldritch is a quality listen; a heady combination of dark atmosphere and blasting fury.

A recommended listen.

Trysth – Soulchambers (Review)

Trysth are from Bulgaria and play Atmospheric Doom/Post-Metal. This is their début.

At 51 minutes in length this album takes in all that’s slow, contemplative, expressive and heavy. The band delve into Doom, Sludge and Post-Metal in an attempt to nail down their core sound.

It’s played well, sounds great and the songs themselves are mature compositions simultaneously satisfying fans of the immediate and heavy alongside the slower, brooding nature of this kind of music.

Soulchambers sounds quite apocalyptic and harrowing in places. The slow build/release mechanics that form the core of Post-Metal rub shoulders with the simpler miseries of Doom and the grim edginess of Sludge. The end result is an album of pits and troughs, lows and highs, ebbs and flows; an album that reaches for more whilst strengthening and safeguarding its central identity of desolate and bleak landscapes populated by oases of life and vitality.

The band know their art well and the album is a studied dissection of atmospheric Doom that is remarkable in its completeness. This is especially impressive as it’s the début of the band; such a strong album usually denotes more experienced hands. However, Trysth also share a member with the excellent Blackened Doom band Upyr, so it should come as no surprise really that Trysth should share similar levels of quality.

The vocals are tortured shouts that stop just short of descending into growling territory. These are accentuated by semi-cleans and cleans that are used for added effect and emotive appeal. The singer suits the heaviness of the music and the vocals are used sparingly.

The album cover is a very fitting choice as it visually represents the band’s sound extremely well.

For fans of Neurosis, Cult of Luna, Isis and the rest. Basically, for fans of thoughtful, heavy music. If you like this style then this is a must.

What an album!

Resistance – The Seeds Within (Review)

Resistance are a Belgian Death Metal band and this is their fifth album.

This is brutal and heavy music designed to destroy. Resistance play Modern Death Metal with a hint of Deathcore in places, but only a hint.

The recording is clinical and polished with everything sounding clear and strong. The band play their tunes tightly and use all of their available tools to go straight for the throat.

Resistance’s sound combines the surgical riffing of Decapitated, the groove of Grave and the modernity of Job For A Cowboy. It lends for a very strong sound that isn’t restricted to any one of those three styles as it borrows from all.

The singer has a throaty roar that sounds every bit as muscular as the music. Not dissimilar to the singer of Grave, he provides a catchy Death Metal voice to work alongside the infectious riffing.

And this is an album of riffs. Heavy, groovy, blasting riffs. They dot Resistance’s landscape like bomb craters and leave just as much of a mark. A large amount of consideration and thought has obviously gone into these songs and the result is very enjoyable indeed.

Quality Death Metal from Belgium. Listen at full volume.

The Dead – Deathsteps to Oblivion (Review)

The Dead are an Australian Death/Sludge Metal band and this is their third album.

The Dead are not your typical Death Metal band. This is Death Metal with an added Sludge Metal aspect. This means the songs are longer than normal, (the shortest here is 6:06), very heavy and full of mountainous Sludge riffs that could crush the life from the unwary.

The unholy marriage of Death Metal and Sludge is so complete that it’s truly hard to know how to categorise them – are they Death Metal with a lot of Sludge, or are they Sludge Metal with a lot of Death? It doesn’t really matter of course as ultimately they’re their own beast and one that has created a joyfully miserable album of filthy heaviness.

Glacial riffs and heavy guitars pour out of the speakers whilst pitch-black growls tear through all defences, deep enough to make your ribcage wobble.

It’s not all death and destruction though. The Sludge aspect of their sound means that they get to explore other musical climates that not many normal Death Metal bands get to explore. Here we’re talking about lighter moments, where the band get to ease off the distortion and add more subtlety into proceedings.

This is slow, ponderous music yet strangely carries great nuance with it. These are complex songs in the sense that emotionally they carry great weight in addition to the heaviosity of the more obvious aspects of their sound.

This is a terrifyingly unique blend of Death and Sludge Metal that should be on any Heavy music fan’s to-get list.

Black Sachbak – No Pay No Gain (Review)

Black Sachbak are a Thrash Metal band from Israel and this is their début album.

This is Crossover Thrash with an Old-School vibe and some furious riffing based on early Metallica.

The album boasts a good recording and the sound the band have is spot on for this kind of thing.

The band can obviously play, with the music being executed perfectly and the solos dispensed at lightning speed.

The singer has quite a versatile voice and is certainly full of character and personality.

Whether you enjoy this or not depends on your tolerance level for this particular sub-genre of Metal I suppose. Personally I’m not the hugest fan of the retro/crossover/humour/party/whatever Thrash as I appear to have had my fill of the style. Having said that though, Blach Sachbak do this at least as good as some and better than most.

Give them a listen and see what you think.

Inter Arma – The Cavern (Review)

Inter Arma are from the US and this is their latest EP. Although calling it an EP is a bit of a stretch; at almost 46 minutes it’s pretty much an album.

Oh and did I mention that the entire running time is comprised of just one track? No? Well I have now.

I’ve not heard Inter Arma before, although I’m aware of them by reputation, so this is something that I was eager to listen to.

It starts off gently, with almost 3 minutes of soft, acoustic sounds, before the heavy guitars hammer down like Thor’s own wrath. Inter Arma play a highly talented form of Sludge/Post-Metal/Doom Metal. Ultimately it’s a Doom behemoth that takes in a variety of different genres and subgenres throughout the length of the song.

The Cavern is a very involving and captivating listen that has been masterfully put together with lots of thought to the weaving of the different elements into a complete tapestry of sounds.

Vocally, we get pretty much everything; cleans, semi-cleans, shouts, screams, growls; it’s all present and correct.

The song transitions through various phases and it’s complex and endearing. The band have invited a plethora of different guests onto the EP which only enhances the feeling of something truly special unfolding in front of your very ears. The guests all add something different, (female vocals, violins, synths), and their contribution is valued and integral.

The pacing and dynamics of this song are just astounding. This is the kind of Progressive Metal masterpiece that you always wanted Isis, Neurosis or Cult of Luna to do.

As the song progresses it takes in all available moods, from slow and despondent to psychedelic and expansive, to subtle and coy, to raging and tumultuous. This is an incredibly detailed journey into foreign soundscapes and as tour guides extraordinaire Inter Arma are well placed to blow your mind with their shockingly good display of songwriting. The performance and musicianship is flawless too.

Inter Arma take the Post-Metal template of the masters, (Isis/Neurosis/Cult of Luna), combine it with the extra-dimensional quality of Mastodon, layer it all in their own unique personality, add lots of individual flourishes and quirks and serve up scalding hot; The Cavern is here and it’s a delicious treat.

Stunning.