Vaultwraith/Decomposing Spells/Hells Headbangers/ 2023 Full length Review

 

  U.S.A's  Vaultwraith  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  shows  the  music  going  for  a  mixture  of  black,  doom,  death,  thrash,  speed  and  heavy  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2023  album  "Decomposing  Spells"  which  was  released  by  Hells  Headbangers.

  A  very  dark,  heavy  and  melodic  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  the  music  also  adds  in  a  great  amount  of  80's  influences  mixed  in  with  a  more  modern  style.  Vocals  are  a  mixture  of  black  metal  screams  and  demonic  death  metal  growls  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Elements  of  doom  metal  can  also  be  heard  in  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  while  the  mid  tempo  sections  of  the  songs  are  heavily  rooted  in  traditional  metal,  At  times  the  music  also  adds  in  more  of  a  first  wave  touch  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  also  remaining  very  true  to  a  melodic  and  old  school  style.

  Some  of  the  more  aggressive  riffing  also  adds  in  influences  of  thrash  and  speed  metal  along  with  some  blast  beats  also  being  added  into  the  music  when  the  album finally  speeds  up  as  well  as  one  song  also  adding  in  a  brief  use  of  horror  movie  style  synths,  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  briefly.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Satanism,  Occultism  and  Horror  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Vaultwraith  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  black,  doom,  death,  thrash,  speed  and  heavy  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Devil's  Dish  Served  Cold"  "Church  Burned"  "Full  Circle  Possession"  and  "The  Mortuary  Succubus".  8/5  out  of  10.

  http://vaultwraith-us.bandcamp.com/album/decomposing-spells

  

Acid Witch/Vaultwraith/Spooky Vol. II/Hells Headbangers/2021 Split EP Review

 

  This  is  a  review  of  a  split  ep  between  Michigan's  Acid  Witch  and  Ohio's  Vaultwraith  called  "Spooky  Vol.  II"  which  was  released  on  Halloween  by  Hells  Headbangers  and  we  will  start  off  the  review  with  Acid  Witch  a  band  that  plays  a  psychedelic  form  of  doom/death  metal.

  Their  side  of  the  split  starts  out  with  a  very  slow,  dark  and  heavy  doom  metal  sound  along  with  some  psychedelic  style  keyboards.  Melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  grim  sounding  screams  which  also  adds  in  touches  of  black  metal  as  well  as  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  death  metal  growls  are  also  utilized  at  times  as  well  as  some  spoken  word  parts also  being  utilized  briefly  before  going  into  a  faster  direction  which  also  adds  in  a  brief  use  of  blast  beats,  when  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  an  old  school  style.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Witchcraft,  Horror  and  Drug  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Acid  Witch  are  a  very  great  sounding  psychedelic  mixture  of  doom  and  death  metal  with  some  touches  of  black  metal  and  if  you  a  fan  of t hose  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Cinema  Wasted".

  Next  up  is  Vaultwraith  who  return  with  their  mixture  of   black,  doom,  death,  thrash,  speed  and  heavy  metal.

  Their  side  of  the  split  starts  out  with  a  very  heavy  80's  influenced  style  along  with  some  black  metal  screams  a  few  seconds  later.  The  music  also  shows  some  influences  of  both  the  first  and second  wave  era's  along  with  some  death  metal  growls  and  also  being  utilized  at  times  and  elements  of  thrash  and  speed  metal  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  riffing. 

  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  also  being  done  in  a  very  old  school  style.  Influences  of   doom  metal  can  be  heard  in  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  as  well  as  the  tracks  also  adding  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  horror  and  occultism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Vaultwraith  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of   black,  doom,  death,  thrash,  speed  and  heavy  metal,  you  should  check  out  their  side  of  the  split.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Prophecy  of  The  Black  Spider".

  In  conclusion  I  feel  this  is  a  very  great  sounding  split  and  I  would  recommend  it  to  all  fans  of b lack,  doom,  death  and  thrash  metal.  8  out  of  10.

  http://shop-hellsheadbangers.com/acid-witch-vaultwraith-spooky-vol-ii-vinyl.asp

Vaultwraith Interview

Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording of the new album?

The Warlock: We've been staying busy with our individual projects.

Alucarda Bellows: Yes, pretty much we’ve just been working on other music and for me I’ve been trying to get my new record label going (HEXECOVEN RECORDS) and working on books. My first release through my own publishing company (Vexed Vamp Pubs) will be Nekromantikal Screams – a “bookzine” dedicated to horror and exploitation films, underground art/artists, the occult, horror/cult books, and music.

Your new album is going to be released on Halloween, musically how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?

The Warlock: I feel like the music got a little more technical on this album with lengthier songs and more complex riffs.

Alucarda Bellows: The new album isn’t much different, but maybe stands head and shoulders above the first album mainly because the first album was more or less assembled. There were songs written before the band really came together. For example, I wrote the song “Manifest at Midnight” for what was supposed to be the third WOODEN STAKE album. As for “Light the Candle…” everything was brand new and exclusively written for VAULTWRAITH. 

3. A lot of your lyrics deal with Satanism and Occultism, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in the dark arts?

Alucarda Bellows: I’ve always been drawn to and inspired by extreme, darker forms of art no matter what the medium. I also grew up in Western Kentucky so there was always that need to rebel against Christianity and religion so that’s a factor in how I tend to gravitate toward these things. From an early age I started reading any book I could get my hands on about witchcraft, folklore, Satanism, Voodoo, the occult, etc. and of course watching movies and documentaries on these subjects. Still to this day I look to these topics as inspiration for lyrics, reviews, story ideas, etc. 

4. You also have some lyrics influenced by horror literature and films, can you tell us a little bit more about those influences?

Alucarda Bellows: My earliest memories include watching The Shining, Children of the Corn, A Nightmare on Elm Street and I saw The Gates of Hell when I was five or six years old. Horror movies have always been in my life thanks to my dad whose mother also loved horror movies, horror books, and serial killer documentaries. The older I grew, the more I discovered my own path with horror – one of inspiration you could say.

5. What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Vaultwraith'?

Alucarda Bellows: The words “vault” and “wraith” were top choices on my “words to use” list and I remember the words just coming together into one name. Sounds a bit cheesy but…

6. Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the new album cover?

Alucarda Bellows: Once again we summoned Mario Lopez to paint an amazing cover to sum up the essence of the album. Basically, one of the visual inspirations was the Italian poster for the 1978 Italian movie Death in Venice. From that came the boat with the dead woman and the presence of water. Also, I remember wanting a burning castle in homage to the fiery painting in Rosemary’s Baby. These two things and the ever-present Vaultwraith character all help compose the image. It all comes together quite nicely I think.

7. According the the facebook page, you refer to your music as being 'devilcraft metal',can you tell us a little bit more about this term?

The Warlock: It's a reference to the song "Devilcraft" from the first album and it sounds cool!

Alucarda Bellows: It’s a play on the word “witchcraft” but replacing “witch” with “devil”


8. Has the band done any live shows or open to the idea?

The Warlock: We haven't played a live show to date. We would be open to it, but the chances are very slim with everyone's schedules and the distance between members.

Alucarda Bellows: No, we’ve never played live and unfortunately we never will

9. One of the band members also owns 'Razorback Records', what is going on with that label these days?

Alucarda Bellows: Yes, I’m no longer involved in Razorback so it’s just Esteban now who runs it. From what I understand at the moment it’s just a mailorder.

10. In 2018 you were also a part of a split with 'Nunslaughter', what where your thoughts on sharing a recording with that legendary band?

The Warlock: It was an absolute honor to share vinyl with such a legendary band! We are humbled and very grateful for the opportunity.

Alucarda Bellows: It was quite an honor to do a split with a band who was one of our biggest inspirations from the beginning with VAULTWRAITH. Don and company are great guys so the split was easy to assemble. Plus, Jim Konya’s influence is ever-present in what we’ve done especially on the new album with the song titled “Nächtober Necromancy”. Jim had expressed how he wanted to work with me on a project one day and the word “Nächtober” came out of his mouth and it stuck with me. I’m not sure if that’s what he wanted to call the band or not, but either way that conversation stuck with me and I used the word because I was so inspired by it.

11. On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of black and extreme metal?

The Warlock: From what I have seen the reaction seems to be favorable for the most part.

Alucarda Bellows: The reaction has been amazing and I always love hearing from those who really dig the music. Recently I released my second album with my black metal band CAULDRON BURIAL and it seems like people who like CAULDRON BURIAL also reach out to me about VAULTWRAITH. I think it has enough black metal touches it connects with black metal fans but there’s also just a general extreme nature to what we do and it attracts a vast audience which I love.

12. What is going on with some of the other bands or musical projects these days that some of the band members are a part of?

The Warlock: I am currently playing guitar and recording with a local (Springfield, MO.) band called MISERY STAIRS.

Alucarda Bellows: I just released the second album “Amanti d’oltretomba” from my black metal band CAULDRON BURIAL. The next thing I would love to work on is a new WOODEN STAKE album but right now I’m focused on getting some books and zines published.

13. Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?

The Warlock: I would like to expand upon the foundation we have already set with the first two albums, getting more creative with instrumentation and production.


14. What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

The Warlock: KING DIAMOND, MERCYFUL FATE, CANDLEMASS, BATHORY, CELTIC FROST, JUDAS PRIEST, IRON MAIDEN, BLACK SABBATH, The Big 4, MORBID ANGEL, DEATH, POSSESSED, PUBLIC ASSASSIN and many others in the metal genre. I also love a lot of punk, post punk, synthpop, modern synthwave, ambient and goth music. I really dig ROTTEN U.K. (also on Hell's Headbangers), and LYCIA.

Alucarda Bellows: I’ve been listening to a lot of Greek black metal like ROTTING CHRIST, NECROMANTIA, and VARATHRON. I’ve also been listening to the usual faves like NECROPHAGIA, DARKTHRONE, MORBID, BURZUM, CARCASS, DEATH, MORBID ANGEL and AUTOPSY. My listening has been all over the place though because I’ve been writing album reviews for my first bookzine and I’ve tried to have a variety in the music. One album in particular I’ve been playing a lot is GRAVELAND’s “Carpathian Wolves”. Say what you want about the band and the one member’s ideology but the music is spectacular and inspiring and even the flaws are welcome. Other than all I’ve listed, I have more music I could list but I’ll leave it at this.

15. Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?

The Warlock: Thank you for taking the time to talk to us and thanks to anyone who has picked up either of the albums. We truly appreciate it!

Alucarda Bellows: There’s more to come from me in the way of books and music so give me a like, follow, friend request, etc (Vanessa Alucarda/Alucarda Bellows) and that will keep you up to date on what I’ll be releasing. I have a lot planned and will be making official announcements soon. Thanks for letting us spill our guts, and thanks to those who have shown support with the new album. I love hearing from you guys so keep the messages and comments coming!

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Vaultwraith/Light The Candle In Honour Of Devils/Hells Headbangers/2019 CD Review

  Vaultwraith  are  a  band  from  Springfield,  Missouri  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black,  doom,  death,  thrash,  speed  and  heavy  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2019  album  "Light  The  Candle  In  Honour  Of  Devils"  which  will  be  released  on  Halloween  by  Hells  Headbangers.

  A  very  heavy  and  old  school  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  black  metal  screams  a  few  seconds  later.  Demonic  death  metal  growls  are  also  utilized  at  times  while  the  music  also  adds  in  a  good  mixture  of  both  80's  and  90's  influences  as  well  as  the  riffs  also  adding  in  a  decent  amount  of  dark  sounding  melodies.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  also  remain  true  to  an  old  school  tradition  as  well  as  also  having  their  melodic  moments.  Horror  movie  inspired  keyboards  are  also  added  into  some  parts  of  the  music   while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

   Elements  of  doom  metal  can  also  be  heard  in  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  along  with  the  music  also  adding  in  some  speed,  thrash  and  traditional  metal  influences  at  times  and  when  the  music  finally  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  murder,  warlocks,  witch-burning's, cursed  nuns  and  occult  burials.

  In  my  opinion  Vaultwraith  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black,  doom,  death,  thrash,  speed  and  heavy  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Accused  Sorceress"  "The  Divien  Butcheress"  "All  The  Black  Arts  At  Her  Command"  and  "Nachtober  Necromancy".  8/5  out  of  10.

http://vaultwraith-us.bandcamp.com/album/light-the-candle-in-honour-of-devils