Post-Metal – Page 60 – Wonderbox Metal

Wonderbox Metal End of Year List – Best Metal of 2013

It’s that time of year again where the Best Of lists start appearing, and Wonderbox Metal is no exception. So here we have my top 15 Metal releases of 2013!

Before we start a couple of notes:

These albums are drawn from ones that I have reviewed only, there are other albums released in 2013 that definitely would have made this list, but as I haven’t reviewed them on this site they don’t get a placing, (bands such as Abyssal, Skagos and Cult of Luna spring to mind off the top of my head).

The order is a bit fluid – due to the subjective nature of music, and depending on mood, these releases could easily be placed in a different order on a different day.

There are some notable mentions also – many others could have been included in this list; the Abominant album Onward to Annihilation for example; I can’t help but feel I should have included this somewhere below, as this is an exemplary Death Metal album. Other notable releases I’ve reviewed this year include the grinding brutality of Plague Widow, the Sludge goldmine of Ilsa and the Death Metal juggernaut that is Amon. All excellent and deserving of a place, but even though I reviewed them this year they were actually released in 2012 they don’t get included sadly. Suffice to say you should hunt them down as they need to be heard!

So, without further ado, here we go!

Soul Remnants

First up at number 15 we have Black and Blood by Soul Remnants. Definitely a grower this album. A very sexy Thrashy Death Metal album with a hint of Black at the edges, this has a great sound that keeps me returning to it. The song Dead Black (Heart of Ice) in particular is worthy of mention, although the entire album is very enjoyable. I highly recommend getting a hold of this.

Arfsynd

At number 14 is Hesychia by Arfsynd. Majestically evil; the cold melodies are my favourite thing about this album. They are both intricate and expressive and give the album a sense of vitality that’s at odds with the bleak music of Black Metal but feels all the more essential for it.

Maeth Edging in at 13 we have Oceans Into Ashes by Maeth. Definitely an album that could easily have been higher up on the list. A long and involving album that is diverse and full of ideas and depth. Definitely something of a Post-Metal classic. As I sit here listening to the album once more I am forced to wonder why I didn’t give this a higher placing? The fact that’s it’s not higher is a testament to how many strong albums I have reviewed this year. That and the fact of mood of course, as mentioned previously. If your tastes bend to the Post- Metal spectrum then this is a must-have.

Funeral Circle

At 12 we have Funeral Circle with their self-titled album, and what an album this is! Traditional Doom Metal that’s damn near essential for fans of this genre, or just Metal fans in general really. As far as I’m concerned Funeral Circle are genre-leaders at the moment and very few bands come close to touching them for this kind of music. As I said in the album review; a win.

Rosetta

Just outside of the top 10 at number 11 is The Anaesthete by Rosetta. Similar to Maeth in the sense that this is another Post-Metal classic-in-the-making that could easily have been higher on the list. My review summed it up perfectly when I said – If you haven’t heard Rosetta before then you should get this album. If you have heard them before then why haven’t you already got this album?

Non Opus Dei/Morowe

Into the hallowed top 10, and at number 10 is the split between Non Opus Dei and Morowe – Dziwki Dei. A special release this is – there’s just something about the songs here. Both bands contribute something slightly different from the standard Black Metal template and both I expect big things from in the future. Highly enjoyable and highly recommended.

At number 9 is Canto III by Eye of Solitude. Oppressively heavy Doom Metal with crushing Death Metal vocals. This album keeps giving and is a work of some very talented musicians. I think Eye of Solitude deserve every accolade that has been thrown their way since the release of Canto III. This is an essential release for fans of emotional, depressive and massively heavy Doom Metal.

At number 8 we have ultra-sophisticated Black Metal in the form of Vesper by Entropia. This album is so good and has such depth and longevity it’s hard to stop playing it. They create a blackened landscape combining fiery Black Metal and Post-Metal gems. Interesting and adventurous Black Metal that should be applauded.

Sneaking in at number 7 is Caves of Glass with their self-titled début album. Seemingly from out of nowhere this album appeared and I almost instantly knew I was going to love it. A huge variety of dark Post-Metal sounds taking their cues from elements of Black Metal and Doom to create a masterpiece that gets better the more you listen to it. Great stuff.

gutslit Next up at number 6 is the fantastic Gutslit with Skewered in the Sewer. Brutal, slamming Death Metal with high-energy and that quintessential Death Metal factor that causes you to have a massive rictus grin while listening to it. The catchy brutality is great and the band are heirs to the Gorerotted throne. Brutality rarely sounds this fun.

Mania In at number 5 we have the Black Metal masterpiece that is Revel by Mania. The sheer qualiy of these tracks is amazing, and the variety of moods and atmospheres successfully employed by the band is awe-inspiring. Such a massively strong album – my only complaint is that there’s not more of it. A superlative release that every Black Metal fan should have in their collection.

Number 4 brings us Czarna Dzika Czerwień by Thy Worshiper, and this is a work of genius. Unique and utterly absorbing; they meld Folk Black Metal with history and tradition to create a work of art that is alive with the breathing of lost peoples and times. A pleasure to listen to.

At number 3 we have the filthed-up Sludge of Boats by Morality Crisis. An inspired and thoroughly dirty album; this is a great listen when you want something challenging and grimy. No pretentions here, just quality and varied Sludge infused with ideas and dirty songcraft. I love this album and think it deserves a wider audience, (like all of these releases really).

YONL The penultimate release at number 2 brings us the luxurious Tocsin by Year Of No Light. State-of-the-art instrumental Metal that doesn’t put a foot wrong. This is a brilliant album that brings together everything that’s great about the Post-Metal/Sludge/Doom/etc. genres and distils them into 57 minutes of essential listening.

And now, (drum roll!), at the much-coveted number 1 position we have the excellent Nephren-Ka with The Fall of Omnius. Brutality, songwriting and atmosphere perfected. This is the kind of album that repeated listens fortify in your brain as just a great album to listen to. It has that almost indefinable something that elevates it above all of its contemporaries. The interesting songwriting; the variety of tempos; the overall sound and feel of the songs; it’s just a great package.

And there we have it! 2013 has been a great year for Metal, and 2014 is already shaping up for some great-sounding releases. I’ve already heard the début by Corpsessed that’s coming out in January, (review soon!), and I’m already pretty certain that it will have a place in the best of 2014, such a strong album it is.

So exciting times ahead – do your part to keep Metal alive and we’ll look forward to another year of extremity!

Happy New Year!

Kongh – Counting Heartbeats (Review)

Swedish band Kongh play a captivating type of Doom/Sludge Metal that is exhilarating and apocalyptic at the same time.

Originally released in 2007; this is Kongh’s début album that’s been recently reissued with a bonus disc featuring their 2006 Demo and their split with Ocean Chief; that’s 2 hours and 15 minutes of music guaranteed to satiate your Sludge hunger.

Taking their cues from the best parts of bands like Neurosis and Isis while also injecting some crusty Metal into this formula, Kongh have produced a corker of an album that is a 100% Grade A prime Sludge classic.

Doom, Stoner, Sludge, Post-Metal, Crust – all these elements and more collide to create Counting Heartbeats and it really is something special. The build up and release; the dynamics employed; the crushing apocalyptic Doom. Songs to get lost in.

As if the original album wasn’t good enough, the inclusion of their demo and split just sweetens the pot of this sumptuous aural feast. The 25 minute Drifting on Waves is especially good.

If you only get one Sludge album in the near future get this one.

Year Of No Light – Tocsin (Review)

French act Year Of No Light have released their new album and it’s brimming with Sludge/Doom/Post-Metal delights.

The band may be instrumental but they never let the interest waver once throughout this 57 minute release.

All band members put in an excellent performance and you can’t fault the musicianship. More than that though the compositions are original and well thought out. Second, (and shortest), track Géhenne is a prime example of this; eerie riffs slip and slide over thundering blastbeats providing a hectic juxtaposition that works wonders to wake you up first thing in the morning.

The heavy riffs are inventive and imaginative; crashing around the listener like waves from an unfathomable ocean. There really are some colossal sounds on these tracks.

Other parts are calmer and more considered, full of crescendos and build/release dynamics that may be a staple of the Post-Metal scene but reach their apotheosis here. Third track Désolation is a 10 minute slow building Doom dirge that captures you and won’t let you go until the song comes to an end and it slowly morphs into the terrible beauty of the next track Stella Rectrix; fully replete with tension and apocalyptic grandeur.

This is a state-of-the-art, sophisticated album that has the potential to appeal to anyone who likes guitar-based music. I fail to see how anyone with an ear for a good melody and an appreciation of atmosphere and mood can not like this.

Over the years Year Of No Light have consistently released top quality albums, and this is no exception. Do your ears a favour and add this to you record collection as soon as you can. Essential listening for the brain.

Favourite Track: The harrowing majesty of Stella Rectrix.

A God or an Other – Towers of Silence (Review)

An epic, sprawling album of Progressive Black Metal. It seems that a lot of thought has gone into the composition of this album and it has certainly paid off as this is a release that the term Supreme Black Metal Art could have been coined for.

The Black Metal they play is far-reaching, without ever sounding sloppy or ill-conceived, and absorbs the listener in a trip to the underworld and back. Sometimes frightening, sometimes enlightening, always essential.

This is an album for people who are not afraid to take their time and get to know it. Yes there is plenty here to like on first, cursory listen, but it’s only on repeated listens that it gives up its secrets. A riff here, a melody there. Music to grow to and grow into.

I highly recommend this album. It twists and turns and takes the best that Black Metal has to offer and wraps it in a Progressive sheen and a sound that’s as sharp as betrayal. You must listen. You must submit.

Mania – Revel (Review)

Seeping out of the US; Mania play underground Black metal with added elements of, well, pretty much every other filthy, blood-caked underground Metal genre there is.

This is a very varied release, yet none of it sounds out of place and it all fits within the murky template of Black Metal. Combining everything from blackened Grind, to (grim) Post-Metal, to blasting Black, to blackened Doom, to mid-paced attack to…they manage to cover it all and do all of it well. The song Mirror is a great example of this. Within its 8 minutes we have softly-softly Post-Metal, whispered Doom, blasting screaming Black Metal and angelic high vocals. Perfect.

Variety for the sake of it can be a catastrophe but Mania are skilled enough to pull it off effectively. Combining the best of rough-and-ready underground Black with the souring epic melodic atmosphere of Cascadian Black, I find it hard to say enough good things about this album. The atmosphere conjured up on this release is just awe-inspiring. In fact, the only thing I can find to complain about is the length – next time I want more!

One of the best, most accomplished Black metal releases I have heard this year. There is nothing to not like here.

Favourite Track: Portals.

Dotzauer – Deep (Review)

Italian Post-Metal band Dotzauer have released their first full length album Deep, which is a concept album about drowning. Viewed in this light the music can be seen to have a watery-feel, from a light tide to a full-on tsunami roar.

The songs ebb and flow, like waves crashing into each other before cancelling each other out and returning to calm in the aftermath. The subtleties of light and shade – the meat and veg of Post-Metal – are used to great effect by the band to create the watery soundscape that describes the last moments of someone being taken to the depths to their final resting place. Water Buries the Skyline is a good example of this where the mellow sections in particular give the impression of idling, waiting for the inevitable to happen; while the more muscular, heavy parts are more of a wild thrashing against the inevitable.

Vocals are predominantly shouted, with the singer having a good quality bellow on him. However there are also the occasional clean/cleaner vocals as well, which add a bit of variety and depth to the music.

Favourite track: Air Hunger. Starting off gentle with clean vocals the track gets progressively harsher and more frantic as time goes on, mimicking the lack of air and the desperation that this brings.

A quality album from a little known band. Time to get to know them better.

Maeth – Oceans Into Ashes (Review)

Doom? Stoner? Post-Metal? Progressive? All of the above? How are we to label Oceans Into Ashes? Ultimately all that matters is that Maeth have attempted a very ambitious undertaking here, and they have succeeded.

The songs mix all of the aforementioned genres into an intelligent and well-written whole. Long songs, short songs, all have their place contributing to a very diverse album full of ideas and depth.

Vocals are sparse and infrequent, used when necessary to highlight one part or another and then fading away once more to keep the focus on the music that Maeth so very passionately play.

Guitars are very melodic, but also not afraid to become abrasive and harsh as the song demands. Frequently changing from stoner riffs to Doom to Post-Metal, you can’t help but be drawn into their world.

Diverse, eccentric and very well-constructed. Given a chance Maeth could go very far indeed. I think we have a strong contender to fill that Isis-shaped hole in Post-Metal.

Monachus – Below (Review)

Monachus are from Sweden and play epic, spiralling atmospheric Doom. Having been a fan of their previous work, both as Monachus and as previous incarnation Icos, I was looking forward to what this release would bring.

And what they bring is sludge-y Doom with some delicious Post-Metal excellence sprinkled on top. The music twists and turns and swamps the listener in warm, post-Neurosis/Isis sounds while proudly striding forwards, forging their own legacy of brilliance for others to follow.

The vocals are top-notch and seem to only be improving with time. Greater variation and depth of voice than ever before, and real feeling that hits you deep in the gut. From gruff to clean, the singer knows what he’s doing that’s for sure.

Each of the songs on this album are finely crafted examples of the art of musical journeys; each journey slowly taking the listener to parts unknown, below what is real and safe, into places other. The album is aptly named in my opinion; with each song giving the feeling of dragging the listener down, underground, or spiralling down the whirlpool to a dark underworld.

There are four songs on this album, and at 38 minutes in length it is over far too quickly as a release of this quality could easily be longer.

Definitely a superior release, with Monachus cementing their position as one of the premier acts of this style. The future is Below.

Available via Alerta Antifascista Records: www.doomrock.com

Evergreen Refuge – As the Fires Burn (Review)

Evergreen Refuge play instrumental Black Metal with hints of Post-Metal mixed in. Long songs, plenty of atmosphere and feeling as well as some fuzzed-up aggression and Black Metal mastery are all thrown in the mix.

On this release the songs are especially long and epic, and manage to hold attention throughout with clever use of dynamics and musical storytelling. You can almost feel the nature on this release; feel the cold breeze on the mountaintops and the eagles soaring high above.

Being an instrumental album there are no vocals but with music of this quality they are unnecessary. The feelings evoked by the compositions within are more than enough to carry the listener to the wilds of the natural environment where Evergreen Refuge dwell. As you sit and absorb what is going on here the full force of nature either crashes down on you or merely hints at its presence, depending on the part of the song. Ambient, single-guitar melodies or drums, Metal and chaos; they do it well either way.

An epic album, and one well worth the time.

Nightbringer/Dødsengel – Circumambulations of the Solar Inferno (Review)

Nightbringer start off proceedings, and the first word I think of is “Apocalyptic”. Theirs is the sound of the end times. Blistering Black Metal played with a depth of passion that is utterly convincing in its portrayal and delivery. This is ritualistic in scope and has the conviction of the fanatic.

Filthy dynamics, blackened songwriting and searing melodies imprint these incantations on the brain, ensuring their longevity in times to come.

Nightbringer provide two blackened hymns and then make way for Dødsengel. Starting with a very ominous chanting build up; the excitement and expectations reach fever pitch before the inevitable release. I was expecting it to culminate in a blastbeat inferno, but unexpectedly they instead opt for a mid-paced attack that works even better. The mood is thus set for their enticing take on Black Metal. Traditional-style with plenty of interest and feelings of darkness and hate in abundance. A good variety in vocals and tempo make these songs most enjoyable. Especially good is the second of Dødsengel’s songs which is a 12 minute epic of atmosphere and Black Metal aggression, with even some Post-Metal elements creeping into the mix.

Dødsengel may not be as elemental as Nightbringer, but they are certainly complementary in style. I am definitely drawn to explore further works by both bands. This is a top quality release in its own right however, and if you are partial to a bit of ritualistic occult Black Metal then you can do a lot worse than this.

A special note must go to the artwork. Daemon Worship always seem to have very high quality artwork to go with their releases, but I have to say this one has taken my fancy in particular. Excellent work.