Wonderbox Metal

Nails/Rotten Sound/Invunche – Rebellion, Manchester – 05/10/26 (Live Review)

Tonight is a good night for sonic violence, and here are three bands very well-placed to dish it out. Within such a brutal niche as tonight’s show, Nails are big fish, (and that’s before you factor in the draw of the mighty Rotten Sound, as well as opener Invunche). Rebellion is therefore as busy as you’d expect it to be, and space is at a premium. If this show isn’t sold out, then it’s pretty damn close to it. Continue reading “Nails/Rotten Sound/Invunche – Rebellion, Manchester – 05/10/26 (Live Review)”

Esoctrilihum – Annochiül Xar Sorthïlazur (Review)

This is the fifteenth album from French one-man black metal band Esoctrilihum.

One never knows what the artist behind the prolific Esoctrilihum is going to gift unto the unworthy world, which makes every release both a surprise and a treat. For Annochiül Xar Sorthïlazur, he has bequeathed us a lavish 69 minutes of symphonic avant-garde black/death metal. While that description may get stuck in the mouth, Annochiül Xar Sorthïlazur itself goes down remarkably smoothly for something so idiosyncratic and barbed. But then, Esoctrilihum always seems to deliver the goods. Continue reading “Esoctrilihum – Annochiül Xar Sorthïlazur (Review)”

Thronehammer – Slay | Kill | Erase (Review)

Thronehammer are an international doom metal band and this is their fourth album.

Thronehammer return! Glory! With the mighty Slay | Kill | Erase Thronehammer unleash yet another colossal slab of doom heaviness on the world, and it’s as massive as you’d want it to be. Prepare thyself for Thronehammer! Continue reading “Thronehammer – Slay | Kill | Erase (Review)”

Ram – Against (Review)

This is the seventh album from Swedish heavy metallers Ram.

Ram are ferociously good, let’s get that right in the open straight away. They’ve been absent a good many years though, silent since 2019’s The Throne Within. Thankfully, they have now seen fit to return to us, gifting unto us a worthy heavy metal tribute in the form of the 44-minute Against. Buckle up, as this one’s a beast. Continue reading “Ram – Against (Review)”

Firtan – Helios (Review)

Firtan are a German black metal band and this is their fifth album.

Following on from 2022’s Marter and 2024’s Ethos, Helios brings us 60 minutes of well-crafted atmospheric black metal and post-blackened might. It is a record that reeks of high quality. Firtan have obviously put a lot of energy and care into its creation, and the results pay off. Continue reading “Firtan – Helios (Review)”

Crown Magnetar – The Hollowing of Godflesh (Review)

This is the third album by Crown Magnetar, a US death metal/deathcore band.

Crown Crown Magnetar’s brand of deathcore is on the more extreme side of the spectrum. The Hollowing of Godflesh delivers a heavy dose of brutal punishment across 29 unforgiving minutes. Continue reading “Crown Magnetar – The Hollowing of Godflesh (Review)”

Chelsea Wolfe – The Dark (Review)

This is the ninth album from Chelsea Wolfe, a solo alternative rock artist from the US.

Chelsea Wolfe’s new record delivers 40 minutes of darkly expressive music for the listener to fall deeply for. The Dark is a record that once encountered, is not soon forgotten. Continue reading “Chelsea Wolfe – The Dark (Review)”

Spirit Possession – Cathedral Speech (Review)

Spirit Possession are a black metal band from the US and this is their third album.

Brought to us by a member of Black Curse/Ulthar, Cathedral Speech contains 43 minutes of engaging blackened mayhem. Spirit Possession are not your average black metal band, so get ready to inject something notable into your listening habits. Continue reading “Spirit Possession – Cathedral Speech (Review)”

Frozen Crown – The Legend of the Six Kings (Review)

This is the sixth album by Italian power metallers Frozen Crown.

Frozen Crown are one of the absolute best in the business. Although 2024’s War Hearts didn’t ascend to the same stratospheric heights as 2023’s phenomenal Call of the North, it was still a great album, one that continues to get better with every spin. So, across ten tracks of new material, what does new record The Legend of the Six Kings have to offer us? Continue reading “Frozen Crown – The Legend of the Six Kings (Review)”

Death. Void. Terror. – To the Great Monolith III: Rifts (Review)

Death. Void. Terror. are a black/death/doom metal band from Switzerland, and this is their third album.

This new record follows hot on the sulphurous heels of last month’s EP To the Great Monolith 2.5. So, what do these strange, otherworldly travellers have in store for us this time? The answer, is something unexpectedly special. Something, in fact, to shake you out of your complacency and really, truly, feel the music. Continue reading “Death. Void. Terror. – To the Great Monolith III: Rifts (Review)”