Metal – Page 545 – Wonderbox Metal

Coprocephalic – The Oath of Relinquishment (Review)

This is the second album from Coprocephalic; a Death Metal band who have a Taiwanese/International origin.

Coprocephalic play Brutal Death Metal. This is ultra-brutal and not for the weak-hearted. The band manage to pull off something a bit different though than most as they combine an interesting perspective on brutality with dissonant melodics creating an unusual take on Brutal Death Metal that’s refreshing and addictive.

This is pure brutality and the riffs come thick and fast. When they’re not trying to beat you to death with blunt breakdowns and heavy chopping they’re trying to stab you to death with sharp melodics and atypical noises.

This is a band who play thoroughly Modern Death Metal with a twist of the most extreme Deathcore the likes of which is peddled by Infant Annihilator and Rings of Saturn. It’s frenzied, savage and not at all pleasant; just the way we like it.

Utter pig-noise vocals sound like someone’s trying to vomit up their own stomach and even though I’m not normally the biggest fan of this style of vocals here it works perfectly with the music. In this sense they’re not too far removed from fellow label mates Infecting the Swarm.

The Oath of Relinquishment is high energy and it’s hard not to feel excited when listening to this. It’s just pure fucking Metal and more brutal than most can handle.

I love it. Let’s all get behind this talented band now.

Interview with Aeonsgate

The début album from Aeonsgate – Pentalpha – is an impressive foray into extremely Epic Doom Metal territory. Thirsty for more background on this intriguing project, I sought out the man behind the music…

For those who are unfamiliar with your band – introduce yourself!

I`m Jondix, guitar player of Great Coven, eight Hand for Kali and Atman-Acron…More of a visual artist, but with unusual ideas and classic taste… Another looser…

Give us a bit of history to Aeonsgate

I just showed the demoed idea to Mats and he liked it for being unique, than Marco Minneman found it interesting to Sabbathian drumming instead of do polyrythms as he’s used to…

Aeonsgate 3 What are your influences?

For this project Iommi, Ritchie, and trance inducing boring noises from Metal underground…

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

The new Judas Priest and Griftegard

What did you want to achieve with this album?

Make a long boring song that I can work to.. specially when I’m painting in the studio

Are you happy with how it turned out?

I’m never satisfied… Now is one year after and I would love to hear the keyboards louder… My brother did an excellent job… But we are preparing a new record together

Tell us about the concept for the album

Death and the people you leave behind….that exact moment when you die… and the road to the other world whatever it is

Aeonsgate 2 What can you tell us about the lyrics?

It’s very romantic… fighting against death and trying to come back, cause you want to stay in the world with your lover… and seeing her from the astral projection….

Give us a bit of information on how the song was constructed.

Me and my brother Joseph, we did a demo in which I sung the lyrics… and then handled it to Mats and he played his magic… Same with Minnermann… he recorded all drums in 2 days… unbelievable… then we played guitars and bass again, trying to be just simple, repeating ad nauseum….

What’s next for Aeonsgate?

Some very important people are interested in a few live shows…

Maybe a second part with different members….Like “True detective”…

Divine Zero – The Cold Asylum (Review)

Divine Zero come from Germany and play Death Metal. This is their second album.

Divine Zero have a singer that alternates between deep growls and high shrieks, sometimes within the same sentence. It’s schizophrenic and harsh. The high screams have a bit of At The Gates about them and both styles sound top quality.

Ostensibly a Melodic Death Metal band, Divine Zero have enough brutality in them to satisfy fans of harder Metal also. It may be melodic but it’s also aggressive.

The songs have plenty of tasty riffs and the trade off between melody and brutality is handled well, with even a smidgen of Thrash being thrown into the mix. Everything’s played to a high standard and there are lots of things included to hook the listener and capture the attention.

The riffs are interesting and quite varied, with everything between modern Metal and Old-School Thrash having a look-in at various points. I also like that the solos are bountiful and emphatic.

A strong sound rounds off a strong package and Divine Zero have produced a very enjoyable album. It reminds me of turn-of-the-millenium Metal like Dew Scented and Withering Surface.

If you’re put off Melodic Death Metal as you think most bands who play the style sound watered down and/or too commercial then give Divine Zero a listen, you won’t be disappointed.

Lelahell – Al Insane… The (Re)birth of Abderrahmane (Review)

Lelahell are from Algeria and play Death Metal. This is their début album.

This is Brutal Death Metal played fast and played heavy.

After the usual pointless intro, (mercifully brief), the real fun starts and the band introduce us to their blasting mayhem.

The vocals are the first surprise. Usually with this style of Death Metal we get typical ultra-guttural growls, but the majority of the vocals on this album are higher screams, (although deeper growls are used as well). It sounds good and reminds of a band like Defleshed.

The guitars have a nice tone to them and sound quite thick. The riffs are a bit more inventive than the norm, with colourful melodies and unusual flavours to the tunes. The songs have an exotic flair to them; Lelahell are definitely not your typical Cannibal Corpse clone.

This album is crushingly brutal and has a sound to match that’s suitably huge and clear. Lelahell are a very satisfying proposition and this chunky, thick sound combined with the band’s songwriting skills, dynamics and interesting riffs means this is an album to really get into.

As début’s go, this is a winner. Lots of bands are content to tread water, but Lelahell are more interested in forging their own path, and more power to them for this.

Make sure you get a hold of Al Insane… The (Re)birth of Abderrahmane. It’s well worth the investment.

Nero Di Marte – Derivae (Review)

Nero Di Marte are from Italy and play Progressive Metal. This is their second album.

This is complex and dense music. There’s a lot of substance here, a lot to take in. Nero Di Marte are not your conventional band; they do things differently.

Rather than catchy riffs or hooks, instead they play riffs that merge and flow with each other to build up a complex tapestry over time. As the songs progress it becomes clear very early on that a lot of thought has gone into these compositions.

This is modern, heavy Prog; more akin to Gojira, Mastodon and Memories of a Dead Man than Dream Theater. This isn’t Post-Metal, but the band borrow the sense of dynamics and momentum-building that Post-Metal does so well and fuses them into their own sound.

These are masterfully crafted tracks that are as engaging as they are entrancing. The low-key vocals almost get lost in the churning maelstrom of guitars and percussive treats, yet they’re there, they add a lot to the already busy music and they help the band connect to the listener in a very visceral way.

Derivae sounds very warm, with the drums in particular having a very satisfying feel to them. This feels like real music, not just something pieced together and let loose with minimal feeling.

Overall, this is a thunderously strong album.

A rewarding and entrancing listen.

Obituary – Inked in Blood (Review)

This is the US Death Metal titan’s 9th album.

Obituary are a true Metal institution and one that’s rare in that they sound just as good now as when they first appeared.

That’s not to say that they sound the same though, as they have experimented with their core sound over the years, to a greater or lesser extent.

Inked in Blood is heavy and largely mid to slow-paced. This, for my money, is always when Obituary sound at their best so I’m more than happy with what they’ve produced on this album. Faster parts appear of course, but Obituary have never played blast beat-fast so it’s all relative really.

The riffs sound instantly familiar without being tired and the entire album is like a happy reunion with an old friend. You may not see them that often any more but when you do you have a whale of a time. A big fat heavy whale.

The singer’s vocals are slightly lower in the mix than sometimes they have been in the past and this just makes the music seem even heavier. His vocals appear to be improving with age as they sound slightly less fluid and more venomous these days. In essence it’s the same voice as always of course, and I wouldn’t want it any other way.

Inked in Blood boasts strong songs that manage to sit right in that sweet spot between heaviness, groove and catchiness where all three elements of the Obituary sound meet.

Each song is recognisably Obituary without becoming same-y. The groove-based riffs are heavy as Hell and the slower more moody sections have surprising subtlety to them on occasion.

The production is solid and the music sounds immense when played at loud volumes, which I highly recommend that you do.

These Death Metal veterans have once more returned to the killing grounds to show the new guard how it’s done.

Behold Obituary.

Sempiternal Dusk – Sempiternal Dusk (Review)

Sempiternal Dusk are from the US and this is their début album of Doom/Death Metal.

If you take the Doom-laden riffs of Incantation as your base of reference and then mix this with a band like Esoteric then you’ll have an idea of where Sempiternal Dusk are coming from.

Huge, miserable riffs crash down on the listener and the band seem compelled to create atmospheres of pure horror and neglect. The production is one of filth and decay, with the music seemingly being played beneath a shroud of despair.

The vocals are very deep and low. They’re used as an additional instrument and seem to bleed from the guitars like a disease.

Lumbering, slow Doom shares space with mid-paced Death Metal to create dark moods and a heavy sense of oppression. Occasionally the speed picks up with faster drumming and guitar work, but thanks to the glacial nature of the growling and the overall feel of the songs even these parts are infused with a sense of something colossal slowly unwinding.

If you like music that’s punishing, unforgiving and unrelentingly bleak then Sempiternal Dusk are the band for you.

Class.

Arcturon – Expect Us (Review)

Arcturon are from Switzerland and this is their latest EP. They play Melodic Metal.

With this EP they give us 4 tracks lasting a total of just under 17 minutes.

This is upbeat Metal with a modern slant and added keyboards/effects. Think Dark Tranquillity as well as bands like In Flames, Arch Enemy, Soilwork, Darkane, etc.

These four songs are well-written and well-presented tracks that are on the more commercial side of Metal but if you don’t mind that then there’s a good amount of enjoyment to be had from them.

The singer has a good voice and switches between shouting and singing with ease. It’s designed to promote emotive responses and as long as you’re amenable to the genre it does the job.

This is the kind of band I could imagine getting a good degree of success if they have the right backing/are in the right place at the right time/etc. They have this particular genre of Metal down pat and inject enough variety and personality into the formula to make it work.

Give them a listen and see what you think.

Cold Blue Mountain – Old Blood (Review)

Cold Blue Mountain are from the US and this is their second Sludge/Doom album.

This is expressive and expansive Sludge that combines elements of Doom and Post-Metal with scything screams and heavy atmospheres.

Moments of Post-Metal timidity and fragility combine with the wall-of-guitars approach of Sludge and the outright slow and heavy assault of Doom.

The result is Old Blood which reeks of despair and an almost tangible sense of lost hope. This is the soundtrack to broken dreams and wasted potential.

Of course, that doesn’t apply to the band themselves though as they have huge potential and see it realised across these 5 tracks.

The immense riffs combine with the caustic screaming to create fields of heaviness the likes of which most bands will never see.

Old Blood is a dark affair, powered by pain and driven by angst. It’s emotionally charged and the band don’t let up the mood for a minute. Whether it’s heavy or light, fast or slow, Cold Blue Mountain are here to remind you of the things you wish you didn’t know and the things you wish you hadn’t done. But there’s no catharsis, only regret.

Take the time out of your day to contemplate the horrors of existence. Take the time out of your day to listen to Old Blood.

Manes – Be All End All (Review)

Manes are from Norway and this is their fourth album.

Following on from their last release Teeth, Toes and Other Trinkets, which was an anthology, this is the first new Manes album in seven years.

Manes play a beguiling blend of artistic Rock, Darkwave Trip Hop, Avant Garde and 80’s-style Pop. It’s subtle, charming, disarming and insidious.

These songs have a laid back quality to them that’s almost detached from the actual music; as if something has been created by the music that hovers just out of view yet its effects can be felt by a lasting aura of deceptive comfort and false familiarity. This lends the songs a certain flavour of the otherworldly and the different.

There is a low-key catchiness to the tracks as well. Again, it’s a subtle affair, as even though the songs obviously contain hooks the first time you listen to them, it takes multiple listens for them to fully work their magic. Such is the nature of all great albums that have true longevity and depth.

There is so much to experience here. Manes create across a vast canvas using a rich palette of colours. There’s a lot that’s easily missed on first glance and only after taking it in for a good amount of time can you really appreciate what they have done here.

The singer’s captivating vocals are on strong form and the bleak-yet-uplifting-yet-not melodies that he uses complement the instruments perfectly adding layers of emotion to already emotive and layered songs.

This is music for dark nights and even darker activities. This is music that drips with soul and is ethereal in nature.

Fans of bands such as Arcturus, Ulver, Lethe, Dødheimsgard, Green Carnation, In The Woods…, etc. will lap this up, and with good reason.

It’s time to enter the world of Manes.