Nile – Page 6 – Wonderbox Metal

Blade of Horus – Monumental Massacre (Review)

Blade of Horus are an Australian Death Metal band and this is their début EP.

Now I don’t know about you, but with a name like Blade of Horus and furnished with the kind of exotic album cover that Monumental Massacre has, I have certain expectations of the band before I even hear a note.

At 22 minutes in length, this is a decent intro to the band and definitely leaves me wanting to hear more in the future.

Growls, shrieks and pig-squeals are the order of business for their vocalist, with the band sounding like they’re whipping him to ever greater heights of fury and devotion with every beat of the drum and pluck of the string.

The band combine brutality and technicality with some minor Deathcore influences to produce short and succinct tracks that go straight for the throat, yet also have enough about them to take the time to consider alternative ways of improving their murderous assault.

The songs are brutal enough to absolutely slay, but technical and complex enough to add a certain level of restrained chaos and further depth to the band’s impressive noise. Interesting riffs and ideas are showcased easily, and there’s a fair amount of stuff going on here despite the short length. Huge chugging riffs in the style of Dying Fetus effortlessly share space with complicated guitar-widdling the likes of Nile would be proud of.

Extra impressive is their ability to add in small sections of atmosphere into these crowded tracks, allowing them the space to incorporate melody and mood into the music, to great effect.

All of this helps create the impression of a band who really do have a lot to offer the discerning Metal fan.

So here we have another band who have seemingly come out of nowhere to impressively crush listeners everywhere with their enjoyable take on Extreme Metal.

Expectations met. Expectations exceeded, in fact.

Contrarian – Polemic (Review)

Contrarian are a Progressive Death Metal band from the US. This is their début album.

Just take a look at the album cover – there’s a lot going on and this translates to the music on Polemic too. Contrarian play distinctly atypical Progressive/Technical Death Metal. It’s not your standard fare. which we are eternally grateful for. As a soundtrack to space battles, it works.

Elements of Death, Atheist and Cynic can be heard, as well as more modern influences. All of this is held together by a first-rate vocalist whose growls can only be described as monstrous.

The music twists and turns, taking the listener down all manner of interesting avenues before seemingly changing direction on a whim, returning to where it left off only to find that it’s not the same place after all.

So the band can play, that much is clear; you would expect no less considering the pedigree of some of the members, (Nile being the most notable). Interestingly though, even through all of the technicality and forensic playing they still somehow manage to fashion this chaotic landscape into a collection of songs.

There’s a good helping of otherworldly melodies and distorted atmospherics included in the mix too. These are a welcome addition to the band’s music, helping to create an additional sense of depth and longevity to the tracks. There are frequent calmer sections peppered throughout, as if the band are allowing themselves small moments of respite and self-reflection to replenish themselves for what’s to come.

In the final analysis, it all results in a highly-textured release that is a very enjoyable listen.

Highly recommended.

Nile – What Should Not Be Unearthed (Review)

Nile are a US Death Metal band and this is their eighth album.

As pretty much anyone into Death Metal knows of Nile by now, they’re a band who need little introduction. Their Egyptian-themed Brutal/Technical Death Metal set them out as special and talented very early on, propelling them to the upper echelons of the Death Metal hierarchy quite quickly.

Nile’s formula for brutality remains intact – whirlwind riffing, driving drums, fast-paced growls, complicated melodies, etc. All of which still doesn’t stop them from being surprisingly catchy and memorable, despite the extremity that they display.

What Should Not Be Unearthed is Nile being as Brutal as they know how to be. This doesn’t necessarily mean complete crazy technicality all the time, as they settle into a nicely simple riff on occasion and just plain hammer the nails into the sarcophagus with it. Having said that of course, the bulk of the material on this album is fast, complex and bewildering in its ferocity and violence.

One of the things I’ve always enjoyed about Nile is their ability to combine head-spinning technicality with esoteric melodies and memorable refrains. This impressive ability is alive and well on these new songs. The Egyptian influences, both in the lyrics and music, are still present and correct too, with tracks like In the Name of Amun in particular sealing that atmosphere in.

As you know, I always love a good solo and there are some blistering ones here. The ultra-musicianship on display on this release is as jaw-dropping as to be expected from a band of this calibre, but they never let this get in the way of a good song.

Although it’s unlikely they will ever top their early albums and the impact that they had on the Death Metal scene, this doesn’t preclude What Should Not Be Unearthed from being a very strong Nile album. It’s always good to hear new Nile stuff, and this new release is a solid 50 minutes of Death Metal.

Hell, that doesn’t do it justice really. Nile have raised the bar so high in the past that while it may be true that compared to their illustrious back catalogue this is ‘merely’ a very good album, when compared to the vast majority of bands out there Nile are still head and shoulders above most of the competition.

It’s Nile. Just go and get it.

Evilheart – Quinquaginta (Review)

This is the third album from Mexican Blackened Death Metallers Evilheart.

Essentially evocative Death Metal with a Blackened twist, Evilheart impress with their vision of Extreme Metal on Quinquaginta.

Think of a cross between bands like Behemoth, Morbid Angel, Melechesh, Belphegor and Nile; bands that are at home combining heaviness and mood.

This is full of impressive riffs, leads and solos. The dark melodics and shining leads are richly textured against the harsh rhythms and pounding drums. It’s apparent that thought and practice has gone into this, and it’s an album that’s as precise as it is passionate.

The band work their magic though a mix sheer ferocity and bright melodics, knowing instinctively when to use one and when the other is more suitable. This results in a brutally atmospheric set of songs, allowing the band to choose the best tools for the job, whether that’s churning, seething ambience or straight-to-the-jugular blasting.

Quinquaginta is full of energy, dynamics and choice riffs. The songs are well-composed slabs of well-thought out and proficiently delivered Metal that have a good combination of instant appeal and depth for longevity.

At almost an hour in length this is an album that you can get absorbed in. There’s a lot to enjoy here and the song lengths allow the band to spread their dark wings and disseminate their message on their own terms and in their own time.

If you’re looking for some advanced Death Metal with a brutal atmosphere and professional delivery then Evilheart are here to provide you with what you seek. Very impressive.

Sarpentra – Supernova (Review)

This is the début album from Russian Death Metal band Sarpentra.

If you think of bands such as Nile, Behemoth, Melechesh and Septic Flesh you’ll be on the right lines. This is aggressive, atmospheric and dark Death Metal that’s further enhanced by choirs, orchestration and operatic vocals.

The core of the band is fast and brutal, with deep growls and blast beats leading the way. This is tempered by the atmospheric side of the band, which reins in the brutality, (or tries to), so that the band’s grander and more cinematic side can come to the fore.

The technical brutality of the band blurs by as they indulge their atmospheric side and the two taken together merge into something really special. They may not be the first band to play this style but they sound like they’re doing it on steroids. While some Death Metal bands dabble in their Classical components, here they’ve been taken to the nth degree. It’s as if Therion had created reinterpretations of Nile songs and then asked Behemoth to perform them.

These are songs that have real presence to them. It’s undeniable. There are so many stand-out moments on this album that it’s hard to credit. The lightning-speed playing combined with the exotic melodies and the orchestral bombast…it’s a heady mixture and Supernova is nothing if not ambitious.

A lot of hard work has clearly gone into writing and recording these songs and it’s all paid off handsomely. This is an album that feels like a tour of a strange new land, one that’s ripe with danger but worth exploring nonetheless.

Very impressive and very, very good. Make this a high priority listen.

Ogotay – Dead God’s Prophet (Review)

Ogotay are a Death Metal band from Poland and this is their second album.

This is muscular Death Metal that has a touch of the mystical and the mysterious about it. There’s an occult vibe that hangs around the tracks like a dark aura, infusing them with the feeling that there’s more going on here than just mere music.

The songs share some elements of fellow Polish band Behemoth, as well as, (to a lesser extent), Vader and non-Poles Nile. There’s brutality and extremity on display but Ogotay also manage to foster those occult atmospheres, as mentioned previously, and these lend the tracks an extra level than if they were purely standard Death Metal; like something feral restrained by ritual.

Bands like Behemoth, Nile, Immolation, Morbid Angel, etc. are a huge influence in the Death Metal world because they are doing something a bit different with the style and do it very well indeed. Due to this, when bands are influenced by them this can easily be to their detriment as it usually ends up coming too close to the original.

What I like about Ogotay is the fact that while they are reminiscent of bands like these genre-leaders they have enough of their own personality and character to step from out of the shadows and into the light on their own merits. Yes, there may be shades of other bands in their style, (as with all bands), but they are definitely their own beast.

To this end, Dead God’s Prophet is full of interesting ideas and well-developed themes and concepts. The band understand what’s needed to write a good song and use this within the Death Metal framework to unleash eight quality tracks in 37 minutes. Each song is identifiable as its own entity and holistically the album flows and fits together very nicely.

I also like the way that they manage to flip between a riff-based approach and a more emotive, atmospheric one, yet they still retain that core of brutality that we demand from the best death Metal.

I’ve been very impressed with this release. Ogotay have managed to stamp their own personality and identity onto the Polish Death Metal scene seemingly effortlessly.

I’m sure we’ll be hearing more from this band in the future, as Dead God’s Prophet is strong enough to easily fight its way to the top of the pile.

Essential listening.

Abyssal Ascendant – Chronicles of the Doomed Worlds – Part. I Enlightenment from Beyond (Review)

Abyssal Ascendant are from France and play Death Metal. This is their début album.

This is Lovecraft-inspired Death Metal that starts with ominous noises and otherworldly chants, designed to create an unsettling atmosphere before the Death Metal itself begins.

The band’s music is heavy and brutal, but not without atmosphere or nuance. This is Death Metal that has picked up a few creative flourishes along the way.

Elements of Cannibal Corpse, Nile and Morbid Angel conspire together, resulting in an album that has a lot to offer. Fast and brutal meets atmospheric and evil. The band do both very well. I like a band that can play ferocious brutality on one hand and then create dark, sinister moods with the other.

The singer has a terrifically deep growl that sounds absolutely abyssal. His voice fits the music perfectly and really drives the songs forward with a deathly charisma.

Tight, focused playing is apparent from the off and the drums keep everything in check. The production is very nice on this release; everything coalesces together in an unholy mass and all of the instruments are well-balanced against each other. Everything sounds great, with the drums sounding particularly satisfying and well-rounded.

This is a very impressive album, especially for a début release.

Barús – Barús (Review)

Barús are a Progressive Death Metal band from France and this is their début EP.

The music that Barús play is complex and unforgiving. This is not music for the weak.

The band’s take on Death Metal is one that combines the Technical and Progressive Death Metal sub-genres into something pretty special. There are even some hints at Post-Metal and Black Metal here and there.

The songs evoke complex reinterpretations of bands such as Gorguts, Morbid Angel, Mithras, Nile, Akercocke, etc. – bands that are not content to be constrained by the norm and reach for greater and higher. Barús now join their hallowed ranks.

The dense guitar riffs seem to layer on top of themselves and Barús’ music seems to have levels upon levels of extremity to hide itself in. For all of this though they are also aware that sometimes simpler is better, but even here there’s usually a lot going on.

Sometimes twisted melodies appear to float up out of the chaos to bring an otherworldly element to their already esoteric sound. A great deal of variation exists across these 4 tracks and each song is both self-contained and part of a greater whole.

The vocals are predominantly deep grunts but a whole load of other vocalisations are used too, from semi-clean moans to spoken word to chants and everything in between, including, briefly, actual singing.

I love it when you find a band like Barús who are willing and able to take the standard Death Metal template and experiment with it until it’s mutated into their own personal view of the genre. This EP has a personality and style of its own and these songs are involving and engaging from start.

An extremely promising beginning for Barús. This EP is a strong start to their existence and if they manage to keep up the quality levels then their début album will be fantastic. Here’s hoping.

Mindscar – Kill the King (Review)

Mindscar are from the US and this is their début album. They play Death Metal.

This is an interesting release. The band play Death Metal that’s brutal and is not without technicality, yet also features a good amount of melodic and atmospheric sections and even clean vocals on occasion.

It’s a winning combination. The blasting brutality of the Death Metal core mixes surprisingly well with the more restrained, melodic parts.

The band seem to be talented musicians and there are no shortage of solos or technical wizardry.

The more atmospheric sections have the aura of Nile or Behemoth if they experimented with background clean vocals a bit more. They definitely have an exotic flavour to these parts and it’s great to see a band spread their wings to incorporate wide influences as well as the more traditionally brutal aspects of their sound.

They’re not afraid to show their Classic Metal heritage either, with a few riffs that would do Iron Maiden proud lurking here and there, albeit heavied-up some.

Sort of a cross between elements of Behemoth, Nile, Atrocity, Orphaned Land, Melechesh, Gorguts and Misery Index. Quite an eclectic mix in some ways when you see it written down, but when you hear it it all slots together quite naturally.

You’ve gotta love an Extreme Metal band who are willing to push the boundaries a bit. Kill the King fuses blasting extremity with melodic abandon and exotic atmospherics to great effect. Importantly they get the ratio correct. It’s mainly heavy and brutal, contains a good amount of flashy solos and leads, with the more atmospheric sections used sparingly for maximum effect.

Very good stuff indeed. Listen and enjoy.

Veld – Daemonic: The Art of Dantalian (Review)

This is the fourth album from Belarus Death Metallers Veld.

Sometimes, only Death Metal will do. Sometimes, it’s the only thing you want to hear. To someone like me an album like this is right up my street, so to speak.

Here we have a flawlessly produced album that has a shockingly strong sound and contains Death Metal that’s non-generic and padded out with interesting enhancements and ideas.

The press blurb touts similarities to Nile, Behemoth and Hour of Penance; all hard hitters and all equally hard to argue with.

Veld are a talented band it seems as they’re equally at home creating an impressively brutal noise or revelling in dark atmospheres. The fact that they can equally play these differing styles of Death Metal and do it well makes this album very listenable and enjoyable.

Some top riffing and melodies accompany the skilful drumming. Quasi-Black Metal influences make the cut too and it all adds character to the assault.

Veld have created some involving music here. Blasting Death Metal with enough variety and interest to make them interesting and enough core violence so they don’t lose their edge.

Highly recommended.