October 2021 – Page 3 – Wonderbox Metal

Indigo Raven – Looking for Transcendence (Review)

This is the debut album from French doom metal band Indigo Raven.

Featuring a member of Mourir, Indigo Raven deliver 43 minutes of doom on Looking for Transcendence, (including bonus track, a Mazzy Star cover). The promo blurb states that the “trio’s sound emerges from the Peaceville Three’s influence with a modern sludge approach”, and this is a suitable description of what you’ll find on this album. To this I’d also add a certain 80s pop sensibility that makes for songs that stick in the head. Continue reading “Indigo Raven – Looking for Transcendence (Review)”

Necrofier – Prophecies of Eternal Darkness (Review)

This is the debut album from US black metal band Necrofier.

Necrofier feature members of Oceans of Slumber and Church of Disgust in their lineup, (and other bands), and Prophecies of Eternal Darkness provides a compelling slice of melodic black metal across 36 minutes that manages to merge professional delivery with underground fire. Continue reading “Necrofier – Prophecies of Eternal Darkness (Review)”

Green Lung – Black Harvest (Review)

Green Lung are a doom rock band from the UK and this is their second album.

Green Lung play a catchy and infectious brand of doom rock. The band have an expansive sound that takes liberally from doom metal, hard rock, folk, stoner, and Gothic rock. Continue reading “Green Lung – Black Harvest (Review)”

Misanthur – Ephemeris (Review)

This is the debut album from Polish black metallers Misanthur.

Ephemeris offers a 56-minute journey into darkness. Spreading itself across a range of styles and genres, including post-black metal, dark ambient, noise, doom, jazz, and industrial, the album is a multifaceted collection of apocalyptic soundscapes brought to vibrant life by a talented act. Continue reading “Misanthur – Ephemeris (Review)”

Qoya – Yōkai (Review)

Qoya are a French doom rock/post-punk band and this is their debut album.

Qoya play an unusual form of doom rock with elements of post-metal and post-punk, along with shades of shoegaze and sludge. This has resulted in a dreamy collection of tracks that have a multifaceted heart that’s rich with emotion. Continue reading “Qoya – Yōkai (Review)”

Sol Sistere – Sol Sistere (Review)

Sol Sistere are a black metal band from Chile and this is their third album.

I’ve had a bit of a soft spot for Sol Sistere ever since spending time with 2019’s Extinguished Cold Light. As such, as soon as the band’s new self-titled album surfaced, I knew I had to experience what it had to offer. Continue reading “Sol Sistere – Sol Sistere (Review)”

Illudium – Ash of the Womb (Review)

This is the second album from Illudium, a post-metal/shoegaze band from the US.

The style on Ash of the Womb is a hybrid one that takes liberally from post-metal, post-rock, shoegaze, grunge, and doom. The end result is a captivating collection of tracks with its own voice. Illudium write music that has recognisable components that you can attribute influences to, but the band exist very much on their own terms. Continue reading “Illudium – Ash of the Womb (Review)”

Bound in Fear – Penance (Review)

This is the second album from UK downtempo deathcore band Bound in Fear.

Following on from the band’s crushing 2019 debut album The Hand of Violence, as well as this year’s EP Eternal, we now turn to their latest release. Containing 43 minutes of massively heavy music, Bound in Fear’s new album is thunderous and demolishing. Continue reading “Bound in Fear – Penance (Review)”

Filth Wizard – Sleepeater (Review)

This is the second album from New Zealand instrumental progressive metal/rock band Filth Wizard.

How could you not want to check out a band named Filth Wizard? Even though I do enjoy instrumental albums, sometimes a great deal, I’m not always drawn to them like I am some other styles that tend to have vocals. In this instance, the band’s name, Continue reading “Filth Wizard – Sleepeater (Review)”

Alda – A Distant Fire (Review)

Alda are an atmospheric black metal band from the US and this is their fourth album.

Alda have a multifaceted sound born from combining black metal, post-rock, and folk into 51 minutes of atmospheric nature-themed blackened art. Boasting multiple vocalists and a range of different instrumentation, including the use of viola and cello, A Distant Fire is an album of nuance and rich texture. Continue reading “Alda – A Distant Fire (Review)”