Metal – Page 543 – Wonderbox Metal

Mandatory – Catharsis (Review)

This is Austrian band Mandatory’s second album. They play Melodic Death Metal/Metalcore.

Mandatory play clean Melodic/Modern Death Metal with some Thrash elements thrown in.

Catharsis comes across as mixing elements of Lamb of God, Illdisposed, Darkane and Arch Enemy…kind of a cross between the European melodic style and the North American modern Metalcore style.

Their melodic sensibilities are finely honed and this is mixed in with heavier moments.

The vocals are mainly deep growls but some spoken word sections and melodious cleans are used occasionally too. These are kept to a minimum though and are not overused.

Mandatory’s sound is big, clean and crisp, as you would expect for a band of this ilk. The songs play out quite nicely and the slightly-longer-than-average length of the tracks mean that the band take the time to explore where and what they want to.

Have a listen.

Obliterations – Poison Everything (Review)

Obliterations are a Hardcore band from the US.

Obliterations play Punked-up, rage-fuelled Hardcore that spits and claws its way out of the speakers.

This is violent music that has an angry disposition and a bad attitude.

The Punk riffs are infected with energy and the music is a natural combination of the Old-School and New. The riffs themselves have an older flavour but the crushing production and fiery vocals are much more modern. Taken together they give Obliterations a very enjoyable sound.

Vocally the singer shreds his way through these high octane songs with the passion and intensity of a lifer committed to the cause.

This is a quality release that’s just under 30 minutes of heavy, angry Hardcore. It’s also a great way to start your day.

Play loud.

For fans of Poison Idea, Discharge, Black Flag, All Pigs Must Die and Converge.

Sidious – Revealed in Profane Splendour (Review)

Sidious are from the UK and play Symphonic Blackened Death Metal. This is their début album.

Sidious have a gargantuan sound that recalls Dimmu Borgir at their aggressive best filtered through the purifying lens of Death Metal’s barbaric heart. If you blend together Dimmu Borgir and Behemoth the resulting ooze will no doubt coalesce into something that wouldn’t be a million miles away from Sidious.

Thick riffs are thrown around with abandon and spiralling drums pound out ritual beats to a backdrop of epic symphonic terror and dark magisterial horror.

This is music for a grim apocalypse that isn’t slow, isn’t pretty and that no-one will survive.

The keyboards and effects are used effectively to highlight the aura of brutal terror that the band create. In a true merging of styles Sidious have the trappings of Symphonic Black Metal wrapped around the molten core of carnage-seeking Death Metal.

Revealed in Profane Splendour is a collection of powerful songs that draw on the rich heritage of both major contributing styles to produce an album that’s a real dark delight to listen to. It’s forthright and confident whilst having a depth about it that flows from well-structured songs and well-composed threatening atmospheres.

It rumbles, it bellows, it curses, it destroys.

Listen loud.

Interview with Lelahell

The début album from Algerian band Lelahell – Al Insane… The (Re)birth of Abderrahmane – is a welcome breath of crushing air in the Brutal Death Metal scene. I wanted to find out a bit more about this exciting new band…

Give us a bit of background to Lelahell

Lelahell are one of Algiers’ newer extreme metal acts, their concrete-crushing death metal bludgeoning skulls since 2010. Founded by Redouane Aouameur (A.k.a Lelahell) who is no stranger to the Algerian metal scene as he has already been in other bands including Neanderthalia, Litham, Carnavage and Devast. Following the completion of 2011’s ‘Al Intihar’ EP, fellow Algerian metallers Slave Blaster and Nihil (who also form the rhythm section of black metal outfit Barbaros), completed the ranks. In 2012 Goressimo Records officially released the band’s debut EP.

The first full length album of Lelahell ” Al Insane …The (Re)Birth of Abderrahmane ” mixed and mastered by Ivan of Anthropocide Studio from Belarus (Abominable Putridity, Aborted Fetus, etc.) was released the 5th of august 2014 by Horror Pain Gore Death Productions (Coffins, Haemorrhage, Abscess,..) from USA.

What are your influences?

We don’t have any particular influences , we get our inspiration from everything which is related to death metal and all brutal stuffs and some local music.

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

Hideous Divinity a great death metal band formed by ex members of Hour of Penance and Eyeconoclast from Italy, their music is technical modern melodic and brutal!

How did you decide on the style of Death Metal that you wanted to play – what appeals about this style of music?

We haven’t decided anything, we just played the music that came from our deep guts!

Do you have any goals for your album?

Our main goal is to make music, play all around the world and of course having fun!

Is there anything on the album you’re not satisfied with?

For a first album we are really 100% satisfied!

Do you want to discuss any of the lyrics on the album and any themes/hidden meanings/etc. that might be there?

The song “Al Intissar” is an hymn to victory and all against those fuckin’ losers who complain all day long without doing anything from their lives. Move your ass fucking assholes! “Voices revealed” is inspired from the memories of Phillip Garrido a serial killer, Hypnose is a message to all our governors in the planet ! Am I in hell? is a question that every one asked at least one time in his life, Kalimet essir is a tribute to our Martyrs, Black hands is about the difference between the rich and poors , “Hillal”, has a more philosophical concept and it is about the interaction of the human with the nature and Mizmar talks about the human pleasures!

What’s your songwriting process?

In general I come with the main guitar riff and structures and other musicians compose their own parts during rehearsals.

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

Increasing a little bit the ethnic parts and adding more technical and modern elements to the guitar are the main changes in the future ! Wait and see…

What does the future hold for Lelahell?

For December we have a European tour planned in Germany, Switzerland, Poland and France. It is called Al Insane Tour. After that we’ll start the writing process of our second full length.

Thanks for your great support and stay brutalz!

Support LELAHELL or die!

Black Jesus – Everything Black Everything Dead (Review)

Black Jesus are a Death Metal band from Australia and this is their début album.

This is Old-School Death Metal with a Crust influence and a filthy sound. There are elements of Black and Thrash Metal to their sound as well, but this is buried under the mountain of corpses that their Death Metal onslaught has created.

Most of the songs are quite short and to the point, generally hovering around the 3 minute mark. But that’s fine, as Black Jesus don’t need any crazy ostentation or filler; theirs is an older, purer style of Metal that goes for the throat and piles on the beatings.

The production may be the aural equivalent of a graveyard but it’s still a powerful sound they have nonetheless. The music is sufficiently dirty and grimy for a band like this yet with a clear drum sound and tasty, chopping guitars Black Jesus come off well.

The songs are memorable and there are a some good riffs on display. Angry and Crust-fuelled belligerence powers the songs along and the band never let up with their deadly attack. The Thrash influence keeps things spiky and Black Jesus never enter friendly territory as everything is full of hate and rage.

Everything Black Everything Dead is a testament to these Australian’s passion for all things dead and rotten. Get on board with Black Jesus and embrace their Death Metal assault today.

Unsaint – Watch Them Bleed (Review)

Unsaint are from Poland and play Death/Thrash Metal. This is their second EP.

I enjoyed Unsaint’s début EP so this latest one is a welcome listen.

Unsaint’s chosen style of Metal is a combination of Death and Thrash Metal. Some of it has a modern sheen to it that recalls bands like Lamb of God, whilst other parts harken back to bands like Kreator with their aggressive brand of Thrash.

The singer has a personable growling shout that works well with their particular style. It’s gruff and aggressive but not totally indecipherable.

The instruments are well-played and there are some nice solos and leads on the songs. Sharp riffs and tight drumming make for songs that are focused and directed.

Watch Them Bleed has a good sound that allows the band to make the most of their energetic Metal anthems.

This is a nice collection of songs that showcase the band’s aggressive Thrash style.

Have a listen and see what you think.

Epitaph – Crawling Out of the Crypt (Review)

This is the début album from Italy’s Epitaph, only a mere quarter of a century or so after they first formed…

Epitaph play Doom Metal, Black Sabbath-style, with a decent amount of Heavy Metal thrown in. It’s ancient and grand sounding, with mystery and the occult bleeding out of every wicked pore.

Resolutely Old-School, this is nonetheless infused with vitality and interest as if fresh out of the mortuary. You can always tell a good album when you can quickly point out individual songs because each one has its own feeling or unique twist to the formula.

You can tell that some serious time and effort has gone into this album as each song has character and style. The album feels very complete and has a lot of personality to it.

The musicianship is at an advanced level, as is the songwriting, with the tracks being very well developed. Dynamics, pacing, hooks and melodies; all are here in abundance.

Each instrument is represented clearly, even the bass, and the subtle keys add further atmosphere to what is already a strong selection of riffs and song structures. The guitars are heavy and the beats are solid.

The singer has a strong voice that handles the tunes with ease.

Epitaph may have only just produced their début after such a long time, but now that they’re here they have the potential to become a force to be reckoned with in the Metal scene.

Let’s hope that this isn’t the band’s epitaph, and let’s hope album number two doesn’t take as long.

Highly recommended.

Whore of Bethlehem – Upon Judas’ Throne (Review)

Whore of Bethlehem are from the US and play Blackened Death Metal. This is their début album.

Whore of Bethlehem play Death Metal that’s saturated with Black Metal down to its very core. There is an aura of darkness that pervades everything on this album and it seeps out from every Blackened riff or thunderous vocal.

Said vocals alternate between deep growls and higher screams. It’s a very satisfying performance and both styles do the job admirably.

It’s a pleasure to hear such twisted, Blackened guitars on this release. Straddling the two genres sometimes means choosing between a Death Metal part here or a Black Metal part there; Whore of Bethlehem however have merged the two styles down at the cellular level and their riffs combine the brutality of Death Metal with the evil reek of Black Metal perfectly.

The riffs are evocative and punishing, yet not without nuance. The band work their dynamics well and the guitars have the right balance between feeling and aggression.

Even the production manages to capture the essence of both styles as it’s both heavy and sharp. Everything is perfectly matched against each other, with no one instrument gaining ascendancy to the detriment of any other.

These are very enjoyable songs; I’m quite partial to Blackened Death Metal when it’s done well and I always compare bands like this to Arkhon Infaustus who created in their 2003 album Filth Catalyst what is, for me, an exemplar of the style. Whore of Bethlehem could easily be spiritual successors to Arkhon Infaustus and Upon Judas’ Throne is a very meaty slab of dark Metal if ever there was one.

What a great album! More like this please.

Annihilation – The Undivided (Review)

Annihilation are from Portugal and this is their latest EP. They play Death Metal.

Their début album Against the Storm was a very enjoyable slab of Death Metal with plenty of brutality and top vocals to enjoy.

So what does The Undivided give us? More of the same?

Not at all.

In the years between releases it seems Annihilation have been busy refining and updating their sound. It’s still Death Metal, of course, but now they’ve added in more technicality and dissonant riffing that takes them away from the Deicide influence on their début and moves them closer to a more interesting, Progressive Death Metal style in line with bands like Gorguts and Execration.

This time the songs are more involved and intricate. Dark, expansive melodies dominate rather than the fully brutal riffing of the first album. They still do have a brutal aspect to their sound but it’s now clothed in grimier materials and surrounded by lurking menace and sinister complexity.

The songs on this EP are real growers and have genuine depth and longevity. Seeing a band spread their wings like this and embrace their potential is a very rewarding sight and bands such as this should be supported at every possible step in their journey.

I must say I heartily approve of this change of direction. Although I really enjoyed Against the Storm ultimately it was nothing different, just an enjoyable Brutal Death Metal album. The Undivided, however, sees the band reaching for something different, something more individual. The results speak for themselves.

I genuinely can’t wait to hear what they do next.

Well done Annihilation.

Arroganz – Tod & Teufel (Review)

Arroganz are a German Death Metal band and this is their third album.

Arroganz play the kind of Death Metal that’s heavy and crunchy whilst also retaining a large amount of atmosphere and emotional appeal. This is due in no small part to the emotive guitar riffs that fall somewhere between the kind of melodic misery that bands like My Dying Bride unleash and a distinct Black Metal malevolence that haunts the songs like a deathly aura.

These two competing sources of darkness are brought together under the rotting umbrella of Death Metal and thus Arroganz is given shape, form and sound. It’s a great combination and the tracks on this release are engaging because of it.

These songs have a real depth to them much more than if the band peddled straight brutality. They know how to play hard and heavy but do so with an emotional connection to the core of their sound and allow the songs the space and time to develop into real entities in their own right, rather than just being collections of riffs strung together.

The singer has an accomplished bark that’s both deep and clear. He uses his voice like a hammer to crush the unbelievers wherever they lie. This rages over the top of a clear, precise sound where all of the instruments shine and even the bass gets to contribute in meaningful ways.

This is for fans of interesting, individualistic Death Metal like Gorguts, Immolation, Morbid Angel and the like. Tod & Teufel is a great collection of songs and the band have done themselves proud.

Have a listen.