Rock – Page 31 – Wonderbox Metal

Kingcrow – Eidos (Review)

Kingcrow are an Italian Progressive Rock band and this is their sixth album.

This is Progressive Rock that sounds to these ears not too far removed from a modern version of 70’s Progressive Rock with a bit more of a distorted guitar. The music has a similar feeling and immersive quality, only updated for the present day.

The songs are easily assimilated, with honey-dipped melodies and top quality Progressive riffing seemingly on-demand.

The playing is exquisite and their songwriting skills are highly developed and advanced, as would be expected for a band of their pedigree.

After six albums Kingcrow have nothing to prove and this is an album that’s put together extremely well. The interplay between the vocals and the guitars is well-judged and everything fits together flawlessly.

Modern Progressive Rock doesn’t always sound this professional, slick and polished, but there’s still an edge here and a hunger and depth to the songs. Kingcrow still feel what they’re doing, and this comes out in the music.

This is a really enjoyable album.

Sågverk – Sahataan ne Kaikki (Review)

This is the début album from Finnish Black ‘n’ Rollers Sågverk.

Angry, Crust-fuelled Black Metal with a modern Rocking aspect and plenty of attitude; Sågverk make this kind of music look easy, but also offer up something a bit different.

There are 8 tracks of Blackened belligerence and groove here, comprising 7 originals and a Metallica cover of Motorbreath.

Buzzsaw riffs and brutal guitars power the songs, but there’s a lot more control here than I was expecting to hear. The tracks are written with more than just Black Metal in mind – as well as the Punk/Crust there’s a bit of a Stoner vibe to some of the riffs, making Sahataan ne Kaikki a bit different from the norm.

The songs are well-written and make use of a strong riff-oriented approach. This is not a release that’s top-speed all of the time, but nonetheless maintains a high energy throughout.

The vocals are shouted screams that vary in tone and delivery a fair deal. Cleans are also used sparingly but it’s mainly all about the shouting. The singer plays his part well and gives a good performance.

The band have a very clean and clear sound; again, a bit different form the norm as this kind of Crusty, Blackened assault is usually a lot dirtier in delivery. It works though and allows the Rockier aspects to their style to come to the fore.

This is a really interesting release that smashes my preconceptions about what Black ‘n’ Roll can sound like. If you imagine a Black Metal/Crust/Punk hybrid, the likes of which we see relatively often, then make their sound cleaner and add in a combination of Kvelertak with a bit of (old) Mastodon to the riffs then Sågverk will be the end result.

Enjoyable and different, Sahataan ne Kaikki is a really good listen.

Highly recommended.

Seneron – Parasites and Poets (Review)

Seneron are from Northern Ireland and this is their début album. They play Rock.

Infusing their Rock with Grunge and Punk, Seneron have produced a richly melodic 28 minutes of enjoyable music.

Not wildly dissimilar from fellow Irish bands Therapy? and, (in particular), Kerbdog; Seneron inhabit the same stylistic space as these heavy-hitters. Add in bit of Helmet, Foo Fighters and…yes, Seneron would have fit in very well in the early 90s.

The songs are catchy, memorable and easy to digest. It’s very easy listening, and I mean that in a good way. You can just turn this on and zone out to the infectious melodies. Before you know it, you’re rocking around in your seat and singing along with rawkus abandon. Or something.

The songs are short and sweet, never outstaying their welcome. Parasites and Poets succeeds in being very easy to like and very easy to recommend.

The songs are well-crafted sugar-coated slices of Rock. The guitars are pleasingly loud though and it’s to Seneron’s credit that they’ve given their guitarist permission to add a bit of a bite to his attack. Compared to most of the stuff on this site you wouldn’t call it aggressive, but it’s not a passive, weak delivery like a lot of this type of music thinks it can get away with.

A thoroughly enjoyable album. Check out Seneron.

Grenouer – Unwanted Today (Review)

Grenouer are a Russian band and this is their eighth album. They play a combination of Alternative Rock and Modern Metal.

Grenouer play the kind of stadium-friendly Modern Rock/Metal that seemed to set the world alight on a regular basis in the late 90s/early 00s.

This is a release that’s positively bursting with catchy melodies and hooks aplenty. Big grooves, bigger choruses and a tasty production mean that this album is extremely easy on the ear.

The songs are all well-recorded with everything sounding extremely professional. The singer has a great voice and keyboards and effects add extra layers to the band’s sound.

All of the songs are essentially Radio-Friendly Unit Shifters and this is easily digestible music that nonetheless makes a good impression.

Featuring elements of bands such as Filter, Mnemic, Stabbing Westward and Spineshank, Unwanted Today is highly melodic and full of hummable tunes.

If your tastes run to the more accessible and commercial side of loud music then you’ll probably appreciate what Grenouer are offering here.

Obsolete – Riven (Review)

Obsolete are from the US and play Progressive Rock. This is their latest EP.

This is a band who play melodic music that has a good energy to it.

The melodic vocals have a dark edge to them, somewhere between System of a Down, Autumnblaze, Breed 77 and Ignite. Musically this doesn’t fall too far from the mark either, actually.

It’s an interesting combination that sees the band delivering upbeat rockers and acoustic ballads with ease.

The band have largely good songwriting skills and clearly have ambitions for themselves, as well they should. Although some of the compositions are a little rough around the edges, this is nothing that a bit of practice and time won’t solve as all of the essential components are present and correct; a little polish here and there is all that’s required.

Riven suffers from not having the best recording, which primarily manifests itself when the distorted guitars kick in. It’s not an awful sound by any means, but it’s just something to be improved on for the future.

This EP shows great promise for the band. A few recording improvements and a little bit of tightening up and I think they could be a force to be reckoned with.

Give them a listen and see what you think.

XII Boar – Pitworthy (Review)

XII Boar are from the UK and this is their début album. They play Stoner Rock/Metal.

This is gritty, Metallic Rock ‘N’ Roll in the vein of Orange Goblin that will find a nice home in the hands of fans of Corrosion of Conformity, Down, Lord Dying, Crowbar, High on Fire, Apostle of Solitude, etc.

XII Boar play feel-good music with an earthy, raw quality. The singer is full of charisma and attitude, as is the band as a whole really.

The songs are catchy and memorable slabs of rocking distortion and hot guitar licks.

It’s an easily identifiable style but the band play with such passion and conviction it’s easy to get swept up in their enthusiasm. The NOLA influence is apparent in their riffs but this has been filtered through the UK and Orange Goblin’s legacy is definitely felt in XII Boar’s style.

Pitworthy is an enjoyable album with a good sound and belligerent swagger. Have a listen.

Third Ion – 13/8bit (Review)

This is the début album from Third Ion who are a Progressive Metal band.

Heavy Metal meets Chiptune? Well, mainly Heavy Metal to be honest. When the chiptune parts do appear they shouldn’t really work but amazingly they do, mainly because they don’t overdo it of course.

This is quite a mix of styles in some ways. The Progressive Metal/Rock aspect of their sound is a modern one yet they still carry obvious influences from older Progressive Rock. Some of the guitars have a modern, almost-Djent feel to them whilst others are pure 70’s inspired riffs with added distortion.

As well as this we have the obvious electronic/video-games influences that are not overused and instead just add some individuality to the pot.

There’s also an unexpected Grunge element to their sound. This manifests not only in the music but also in the vocals. There’s a kind of laid back, hazy feel to things that recalls bands of this type and era.

The musicianship on display here is first-rate, as is the recording. Importantly the songs themselves are well-written and the album has a kind of easy-listening vibe despite the frequent higher-energy and more upbeat sections.

This is a really enjoyable Progressive Metal album that’s a little different due to the mix of related styles. Recommended.

The 69 Eyes – The Best of Helsinki Vampires (Review)

The 69 Eyes are from Finland and play Gothic Rock.

This is a pretty epic Best Of album, spanning 28 tracks across 25 years. Most bands will never be that prolific.

I haven’t actually heard The 69 Eyes before but they’re certainly a band I’ve been aware of.

As is the case with Best Of albums like this it’s essentially a greatest hits package, and the quality of the songs reflect this.

It shows a remarkable consistency over the band’s long career. Times, style and fortunes may shift and change, but a good song is a good song regardless.

These are catchy, memorable, Gothic-infused Rock songs with personality and choruses aplenty.

The singer has that kind of deep, charismatic voice that is essential for this kind of music and it’s easy to see why he has captivated so many hearts over the decades with his vocal performance.

There is a lot of music on this release, almost 2 hours in total. But even given the constraints of the genre there’s a decent amount of variety here, with everything from up-tempo rockers, moody slower songs and outright ballads getting a chance to shine. The band have suffered no shortage of inspiration over the years, that’s apparent.

From my own point of reference, they combine elements of HIM, Ashbury Heights, Mono Inc., Paradise Lost, Tiamat, Type O Negative, Moonspell and Sentenced; although I’m well aware that it’s probably the other way around in reality.

With such a wealth of riches in one package, if this is your kind of music then it’s hard to go wrong with The Best of Helsinki Vampires.

I’m sold. Sign me up.

Corpo-Mente – Corpo-Mente (Review)

Corpo-Mente are from France and this is their début album.

Now this is something a bit different, a bit special.

This is exotic, sensual music that combines Dark Rock, Trip-Hop and Electro Avant-Garde.

This is powerful stuff that grips from the start with its highly individualistic sound.

The songs seem to slip and slide through the musical landscape and they seem to pulse with a deeply vibrant internal heat. The way the album moves through the running time is almost carnal in nature.

The vocals are operatic in nature and yet somehow still manage to remain intimate and personal. The singer has a strong voice and is extremely talented at what she does. She injects personality and charismatic inflection into the singing which results in the music avoiding the trap of rather faceless, impersonal operatic vocals that some bands who employ them can sometimes fall into.

The music is multi-textural and richly evocative of sumptuous soundscapes. It’s also filled with haunting melodies and quite beautiful compositions. There is a definite darkness here, sometimes quite menacing in tone.

With enough “hair-standing-on-end” moments to stop anyone in their tracks, this is a must. What a highly accomplished collection of songs!

If you like bands like Ulver, Lethe, Manes, etc. then this is a definite highlight to be seized.

A surprise and a pleasure; Corpo-Mente have made a firm fan here.

The Black Lantern – We Know The Future (Review)

The Black Lantern are from the US and this is their début album. The band play modern Rock/Punk.

This is music that’s passionate and energetic. It’s a highly emotive affair with the focal point being the excited and impassioned vocals. The singer has a charismatic voice that’s full of personality which she uses to great effect through these 11 tracks.

Halfway between Punk and Rock, The Black Lantern are a band who can easily appeal to fans of both. These songs are very catchy and full of hooks, but merely saying that doesn’t really do their music justice.

I’m sitting here listening to We Know The Future again and the songs just exude energy, passion and excitement like an electrified badger. Or something. I dunno, but you get the idea. It’s infectious and it makes me want to move around at speed and in funny ways.

This is music to feel invigorated to. Did your cat steal your sandwich? Maybe your boss poured paint on your head? Perhaps you’re being stalked by moths? In any case, stick on We Know The Future and none of it will feel so bad.

A thoroughly impressive release that’s perfect music to feel alive to.