Punk – Page 30 – Wonderbox Metal

Osmium Guillotine – Osmium Guillotine (Review)

Osmium Guillotine are from the UK and this is their début album. They play Heavy Metal.

This is 80’s style Heavy Metal with a sexy guitar sound and plenty of attitude. The production is largely apt for this kind of band, although in a feat of differentiation Osmium Guillotine have a guitar tone that’s both thicker and heavier than most bands playing this genre and it works very well for them.

The music is played with passion and obvious zeal and everyone seems to know their job well. Nice solos too.

This is Old-School Heavy Metal that manages to encapsulate quite a few different feelings from early Metal and distil them into this release. Classic Metal is a given, but Doom Metal, Proto-Thrash and NWOBHM all get a look in. There’s even a touch of Punk to things now and again.

The vocals are great, and there’s not a hint of Power Metal to be seen. I love Power Metal as much as anyone, but it’s nice to hear a band like Osmium Guillotine who are just pure Heavy Metal without the more extravagant ostentation inherent in Power Metal. The singer here has a great set of lungs and possesses the charisma to do the tunes justice.

These are a strong set of songs with plenty of hooks and choruses to keep you coming back for more. Memorable melodies and good riffs flow freely and everything feels just as it should.

Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, Anthrax…if these bands float your boat then Osmium Guillotine are a logical band to check out. Along with the recent stellar release from Johnny Touch this proves once again what any real music fan already knew – True Metal isn’t dead.

Great stuff.

Protestant – In Thy Name (Review)

Protestant are from the US and play Blackened Hardcore Metal.

This is raw, dirty and exceedingly violent in nature.

The riffs have a real Blackened colour to the melodies, which are merged with a Punk attitude and delivery style. The Blackened Punk style has yet to be done to death and Protestant do it very well indeed.

Protestant inhabit a similar space stylistically to bands such as Hexis and Flesh Born, and if you like them you should check out Protestant, (and vice versa). All three bands are exemplars of this kind of music.

Protestant write good riffs and sound thunderously impressive. They let the darkness pile on thick and heavy, all the time allowing the driving Hardcore mentality to energise the songs and propel them forwards.

The vocalist croaks and rasps his way through the 8 tracks like his lungs are going to give out at any minute. He accompanies the apocalyptic sounding music like the final harbinger of the worst things yet to come. His is the voice of anger, rage and dark tidings.

Protestant have released an album that bridges the gap between the sometimes dissonant worlds of Hardcore and Black Metal in a way that sounds like they were born to do this.

In Thy Name is an album propelled by exquisite Blackened riffs and Hardcore energy the likes of which we don’t see very often.

Listen, listen loud and listen now.

Atara/Miserable Failure – Hang Them Split (Review)

This is a split between French Grindcore bands Miserable Failure and Atara.

Atara are up first and they give us 6 tracks of Punk and groove influenced Grind.

These are enjoyable short, sharp adrenaline shots of modern Grind with Punk attitude and a touch of Nasum added in.

The singer is particularly acerbic and he heads the tracks here like the focal point of devastation.

Scathing vocals and a rounded, heavy sound that’s not overproduced means that the band shine filthily and so do the songs. Top work by Atara.

We’ve met Miserable Failure before with their last EP Hope. They continue to impress here with 8 tracks of furious Grind that mix the best of the extreme nature of Grindcore with the violence of modern Hardcore.

The utterly demented vocals are present and the music sounds just as unhinged. Slabs of distortion that pass themselves off as riffs crash into your skull and before you know it you’re left wondering what the hell just happened. And then, without warning, Miserable Failure loom in suddenly for the killing blow.

There’s no reason at all you shouldn’t get this. None whatsoever.

Collision/The Rotted – Split (Review)

Collision are a Grindcore band from the Netherlands and The Rotted are a Crust-influenced Death Metal band from the UK.

This is a short split at just over 6 minutes in length that shows off what both bands can do, so let’s see what we have here.

Collision have two songs. The sound is raw and brutal, with serrated vocals screaming and shouting out over speedy Grind. Both tracks are a fast and furious blend of Hardcore-influenced Grind and angry outbursts.

Both are good songs that have plenty of blastbeats mixed with moments of heavier restraint. The riffs are solid and the band seem to be having a blast.

I’m sold. Bring on The Rotted!

After Collision’s barrage of ferocity The Rotted pound out Rotted Fucking Earth which is a d-beat Punk-esque song with a good sound.

It has a drunken swagger and an aggressive temperament; it’s probably not something you want to mess with.

Simple-but-effective songwriting is powered by decent riffs and pure attitude. As Metal songs go it’s a veritable anthem.

Short but oh so sweet, this is a worthy split to add to your collection.

Secret Cutter – Self-Titled (Review)

Secret Cutter are from the US and this is their début album. They play Sludge Metal with an added side of Hardcore/Punk.

The Secret Cutter sound is one of pure unbridled filth, fury and fucking heaviness. This is aggressive and nasty in only the way that Sludge and really pissed off Hardcore can be, and when combined like this it just sounds gloriously horrible!

Think of bands like Eyehategod, Serpent Eater, Ilsa, Corrupt Moral Altar, Wolvhammer, Enabler and the like; distil what makes these bands so interesting, nasty and individual and you’ll have a good idea of the murky swamp of urban decay that Secret Cutter dwell in.

I love albums like this – no messing around, just undiluted heaviness and aggression, whether that’s done at speed or slowly. It’s rough, raw and genuine.

The Sludge is strong and works well with the added Hardcore/Punk influence that the band have.

The songs have a good degree of variety in them for a short album, (only 26 minutes), and within the style they play. Each song is readily identifiable also, (no mean feat for any band), and show a creative force at the top of their game.

They have some great riffs on this release and the songs are surprisingly catchy for this type of band. Although catchy probably isn’t the right term. Infectious, maybe?

Special mention should go to the singer, who absolutely rages and tears his way through the songs as if it’s the last thing he’s ever going to do. His high pitched screams are the very incarnation of savagery.

This really is a top quality release that has so many plus points it’s silly. In many ways this is the best of heavy, nasty music, and this is one I’ll be listening to over and over again.

Play it loud and get it now.

Martyrdöd – Elddop (Review)

Martyrdöd are from Sweden and play Hardcore Crust. This is their fifth album.

Elddop has a heavy sound with the music sounding organic and lively; a well-produced rawness, if you will.

The band are quite melodic with their riffing. Typically the rhythm guitar lays down a firm, heavy foundation whilst the lead guitar adds colour and flavour over the top. Some of the riffs are quite inventive and the band gives a passionate performance.

The music is of the d-beat Crust variety but is not purely limited to this. The drums power the songs as the guitars make their melodic massacres. This style of music has its roots in the past in bands like Discharge, but a more modern point of reference would be Kvelertak I suppose.

Vocally we have savage shouts that sound hoarse and desperately urgent. It’s as if the singer can’t quite wait to blurt out what his message is, but he feels so disgusted by whatever he’s talking about that he can’t help but just shout it at the top of his lungs. It all adds a refreshing energy to the tracks. Thinking about it, he reminds me of the singer of At The Gates/Lock Up/etc., only deeper and a bit harsher.

Occupying that rarest of spaces where harshness and melodics meet, Martyrdöd have produced an enjoyable album that takes the Crust template, adds a little bit of Metal to it and then vomits vitriol and poisonous invective over everything.

Listen loud and let Martyrdöd shake your world.

Pretty Little Flower – Ultimate Whirlwind of Incineration (Review)

This is the fourth album from US band Pretty Little Flower who play Grindcore.

This is savage Grind mixed with a bit of Old-School Death Metal and Punk/Thrash influences to some of the riffs.

The vocals are deliciously deep and guttural. A real pleasure to listen to. Total cookie monster vocals but they’re deeply satisfying growls that hit the spot nonetheless. There are also occasional high rasps but these are of the average variety.

There’s plenty of blasting and band seem quite content with keeping things fast, nasty and angry. Fine with me.

The nature of the riffs and the deep growls remind me of certain aspects of early Brutal Truth, which is probably why I found myself warming to this album so quickly.

The songs, as one would expect, are short and to the point, with most hovering about the 1:30-2:00 mark. This means they have enough time to build up a good head of steam before the relentless blasting and Grinding comes to an end.

The sound is fine and the drums in particular have a pleasing analogue sound to them.

This is for fans of simple, stripped-back-to-the-bone Grindcore that takes no prisoners and doesn’t even vaguely understand the concept of mercy.

An enjoyable release.

Wolvhammer – Clawing Into Black Sun (Review)

This is the third album from US Sludgy Black Metal group Wolvhammer.

This is music that’s covered in filth and reeks of the underground; Black Metal that’s so impure it’s slowly mutating into a hideous Sludge Metal behemoth that threatens to corrupt and taint everything around it.

The band are absolutely focused on their misanthropic mission and are honed and coiled to a lethal point.

The great thing about this album is the songs themselves; there is a great sense of Doom’n’roll to these tracks that are propelled forwards with a Punk/Crust swagger that builds on their Black Metal roots and persists through the Sludgy mire they have created for themselves.

Put simply; the songs bleed negative emotion through every sickened pore.

The poisonous, bile streaked vocal shrieks are representative of dire inner struggles. They seem to reach out of the songs and force you to pay attention, all the while though you’re distracted by the grim musical bonanza that is spreading around you.

The guitars ply their Blackened trade with consummate ease and the entire album is just flowing with feelings artfully plucked, brutalised and abused by these purveyors of filth.

Does this sound good to you? Does it? Well it should. Wolvhammer have created a wonderfully dank album that I heartily recommend to all.

This is a stunning album.

Favourite Track: Death Division. It’s just so damn good.

Idols Plague – Nursery Crimes (Review)

Idols Plague are from the US and play Hardcore.

This is short and to the point; 14 minutes of energetic, stripped down Punk. It may be a short EP but it captures the attention quickly and wastes no time in displaying its wares.

It’s heavy, nasty and all of the things that Hardcore should be. The songs are a blur of speed and groove with the band knowing when to put the foot on the accelerator and when to ease off; they really exploit the groove-laden riffs in this manner.

The band mix a few different styles with their Hardcore, as there is a strong rust element to their sound but also a bit of Classic Grindcore, more Modern Hardcore and even the odd hint of Crossover Thrash.

The songs are surprisingly catchy, both vocally and riff-wise. The vocals are suitably unhinged and desperate-sounding, as if he’s screaming and shouting for his very life. They’re timelessly Hardcore in that they flit between sounding Old-School and sounding Modern, ultimately performing equally well no matter how he employs his lungs.

The band are loose and underground enough to sound very natural, with nothing forced or contrived. This, coupled with the songwriting, means that this release sounds very fresh. The merging of the different styles into the Crust Punk sound adds a deeper shade of murk to a band that’s essentially song-focused, really bringing home the quality of the tracks and impressing with their vitality and longevity.

Rolling through a town near you like a freight train, I give you Idols Plague. Listen loud.

Hard Charger – Chrome Lord (Review)

Hard Charger are from Canada and play Crossover/Thrash Metal.

Thrash Metal raped by Punk. Or the other way around? Who cares; either way this is raw, underground and Metal.

The songs are short and full of confidence and have an Old-School Hardcore feel to them whilst also having sufficient metal licks to keep the mosh-crowd happy.

This reminds me of a more Hardcore-influenced Brujeria more than anything else actually. There’s something about the vocals; the fact I keep thinking the singer’s going to start shouting La Ley de Plomo at any given point.

Regardless, this is a decent listen and unlike a lot of bands who play this genre it’s slanted more to the Hardcore side than the Thrash side, which, as much as I love Thrash, works in the band’s favour.

Some of the tracks have a more rock and roll feeling to them as well, adding a cocksure swagger to the proceedings which shows that the band know how to have a good time. The solos are a welcome addition also.

A band to watch out for. A couple of refinements here and there, as well as upgrading to a fuller, bigger sound and their next release will be a monster.