This is the debut album from international death metal band Jade.
I’ve loosely called this death metal in the introductory sentence above, but The Pacification of Death provides more than this. I suppose blackened atmospheric death metal is more accurate; Jade excel in crafting music that combines 80s/90s death/doom and mood-heavy black metal, resulting in a 40-minute album that is more notable than most. Continue reading “Jade – The Pacification of Death (Review)”
Gravefields are an international death metal band and this is their second album.
Previously known as Dirtyprotest, this band have now benefited from both a change of name and a change of sound. Whereas the band’s debut album – Hellstorm – was essentially a Swedish death metal affair, Embrace the Void is a wider-ranging beast. Continue reading “Gravefields – Embrace the Void (Review)”
December is always a tricky month, as generally the releases slow down in the run up to the new year. That doesn’t mean there were no notable releases during this time, however. Check out the outstanding metal albums below and let me know which your favourite is… Continue reading “Monthly Overview – the Best of December 2018”
Having considered it long and hard, I’ve decided that any form of introductory paragraph with any real substance would simply detract from the list below. As such, all I’ll say is that 2018, like every year, has given us some top quality metal releases. So have a look at my top picks for 2018, and hopefully you’ll find a new band to obsess over…
Continue reading “Wonderbox Metal End of Year List – Best Metal of 2018”
Sulphur Aeon are a German death metal band and this is their third album.
After the triumphant roar from the depths that was 2015’s Gateway to the Antisphere, (which I loved), this new one is greatly anticipated. It has not disappointed, either. Boasting another hypnotically engaging piece of artwork, the band are back and better than ever. Continue reading “Sulphur Aeon – The Scythe of Cosmic Chaos (Review)”
Sulphur Aeon play Death Metal. They are from Germany and this is their second album.
I love a good album cover, and this one is just brilliant.
Sulphur Aeon are not your standard Death Metal band. Sure, the ferocious riffs and brutal delivery are there, but they also add a lot more on top of this. Sound enhancements, effects, interesting vocals and chants, etc. add to the feeling of something special, mysterious and subtly disturbing.
A strong feeling of the underworld pervades this release, with mysterious sounds and otherworldly echoes aplenty.
The vocals are bowel-shakingly deep and sound as evil as they do inhuman. Added to this there are various shouts and chants also included that ratchet up the atmosphere and feeling as well as the aura of otherworldly darkness that these songs exude.
Musically this is interesting Death Metal in the grand tradition of bands like Behemoth and Nile; bands that are not content to play generic Death Metal and instead infuse their style with atmosphere and character. Sulphur Aeon have both in spades.
These songs are heavy and brutal yet still manage to make room for atmosphere and no small amount of melody and leads. The musicianship and songwriting skills of the band are all top-drawer and these 53 minutes speed by in a blur of remarkable Extreme Metal.
This is a very impressive release that is guaranteed to make waves in the Extreme Metal scene. There’s not enough individuality and differentiation in the Death Metal scene, (why fix what largely isn’t broken?), but thankfully Sulphur Aeon have produced an album that builds on all of the strengths of Death Metal and takes the genre further than most.
Essential listening. Go and get this now.
Wonderbox Metal 