Sunday 10 June 2018

Black Box Warning - Attendre La Mort (EP Review)


Release date: March 08th 2018. Label: Self Released. Format: CD/DD

Attendre La Mort – Tracklisting

1.5 mg 03:37
2.4 mg 05:54
3.1 mg 04:28
4.2 mg 05:47
5.3 mg 03:26

Review

Black Box Warning debut EP – Attendre La Mort – offers 5 tracks of brutally heavy Doom/Sludge Metal that is influenced by the likes of Will Haven, Primitive Man and even Crowbar. The EP is bleak and sees Black Box Warning create an unflinching atmosphere where the sounds are progressive and unforgiving throughout.

First track – 5mg – opens with a powerful Doom/Sludge rhythm with the bleak vocals adding a sense of madness and despair. The song does become more powerful and faster when the band play an aggressive style of Death/Thrash based Doom Metal. The song does have an undeniable schizophrenic nature. As the band play a mixture of different styles of Doom and Sludge Metal.

Second track – 4mg – has a more standard and realistic Doom/Heavy Metal sound with Black Box Warning still creating unsettling and nightmarish heavy riffs. The vocals are pitch-black and can be hard to understand at times. However this remains one of the standout songs on the EP. As Black Box Warning include “NOLA” Sludge based riffs in the middle of the song. This shows you that Black Box Warning can actually play emotional based music. Though the song returns to the nightmarish sounds that Black Box Warning perhaps want to be known for.

The remaining 3 songs sees Black Box Warning continue to strive for Doom/Sludge Metal excellence with their blend of Doom, Sludge and Heavy Metal. The EP does become more Death/Thrash Metal orientated and that may put some people off. However this doesn’t stop Black Box Warning creating highly intense music with bleak lyrics and vocals to match.

The production is handled superbly well for the most part. However there are a few moments that feel very rushed and this sees Black Box Warning lose focus at times. Attendre La Mort is a superb EP and proves that Black Box Warning could have a very bright future within the world of Doom/Sludge Metal, if they keep creating pissed off and bleak sounds such as this.

Excellent and Highly Recommended.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Claire at Purple Sage PR for the promo. Attendre La Mort is available to buy now on CD/DD.

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