December 2021 – Page 2 – Wonderbox Metal

Charnel Altar – Abatement of the Sun (Review)

Charnel Altar are an Australian blackened death metal band and this is their debut album.

Charnel Altar’s 47-minute debut album reeks of horrific misery and grim nightmare. The music combines doom, death, and black metal into a hideously twisted mass of guitars, bass, and drums. It’s blackened death/doom of a sort, only not what that appellation might initially conjure; Abatement of the Sun is bred from far older and darker stock, with an old-school underground feel that’s as infectious as it is authentically nasty. Continue reading “Charnel Altar – Abatement of the Sun (Review)”

No God Only Teeth – Placenta (Review)

This is the debut album from post-metal/sludge band No God Only Teeth.

No God Only Teeth play a characterful style that mixes together sludge and post-metal, with elements of post-rock and crust. The band take an emotive approach to their material, forging dark soundscapes from the various subgenres. Continue reading “No God Only Teeth – Placenta (Review)”

Blue Heron – Black Blood of the Earth/A Sunken Place (Review)

Blue Heron are a heavy rock band from the US and this is their debut EP.

Two tracks, 12 minutes, no messing around.

Black Blood of the Earth is a nicely meaty track that combines a love of heavy rock with stoner and psychedelic influences. I like the alternating harsher vocals with Continue reading “Blue Heron – Black Blood of the Earth/A Sunken Place (Review)”

Inherits the Void – Monolith of Light (Review)

This is the debut album from Inherits the Void, a French one-man black metal act.

Monolith of Light is 37 minutes long and contains a form of melodically-rich atmospheric black metal that hits the spot quite nicely. The promo blurb tells us that the artist behind the band wanted to aim for “a meeting between influences from the ‘90s Swedish black metal scene and a more current orientation of the genre”, and I’d suggest that this has been achieved. The album has an old-school core that’s enhanced by more modern post-blackened influences. Continue reading “Inherits the Void – Monolith of Light (Review)”

Vahrzaw – The Trembling Voices of Conquered Men (Review)

Vahrzaw are an Australian black/death metal band and this is their fourth album.

Having enjoyed 2014’s Twin Suns & Wolves’ Tongues and 2018’s Husk, I knew I wanted to check out The Trembling Voices of Conquered Men as soon as I could. This new album further develops the sound that Vahrzaw did so well on Husk, taking it Continue reading “Vahrzaw – The Trembling Voices of Conquered Men (Review)”

Anatomy of Habit – Even If It Takes a Lifetime (Review)

Anatomy of Habit are from the US and this is their third album. They play experimental doom/post-metal.

2014’s Ciphers + Axioms seems like it came out a very long time ago, which I suppose it actually did. Now we have a follow up, however; Even If It Takes a Lifetime offers the listener a journey into sound that’s rich and textured. Continue reading “Anatomy of Habit – Even If It Takes a Lifetime (Review)”

Phrenelith – Chimaera (Review)

This is the second album from Phrenelith, a death metal band from Denmark.

A monster named Phrenelith lurks deep in the death metal underworld, a malevolent entity that preys on any of the weak and unwary that get close enough to its sinister lair. With Chimaera the creature has ventured out of its territory once more and is hunting for fresh meat… Continue reading “Phrenelith – Chimaera (Review)”

Ethereal Shroud – Trisagion (Review)

This is the second album from UK solo atmospheric black metal band Ethereal Shroud.

Now this is my kind of album. The album boasts three colossal songs, with a total duration of 64 minutes; Trisagion is a dark odyssey that’s well-worth embarking on. Despite being essentially a solo work from a creative perspective, there are a number of other musicians on the album that help to flesh out the artist’s vision, providing bass, viola, drums, and female vocals, (the latter on the 28-minute opener Chasmal Fires). Continue reading “Ethereal Shroud – Trisagion (Review)”

Dessiderium – Aria (Review)

This is the fourth album from Dessiderium, a solo progressive death metal act from the US.

Brought to us by a member of Arkaik and Nullingroots, Aria contains 63 minutes of progressive death metal.

Aria consists of five long and Continue reading “Dessiderium – Aria (Review)”

Genocide Pact – Genocide Pact (Review)

Genocide Pact are a death metal band from the US and this is their third album.

I really liked Genocide Pact’s filthy 2018 release Order of Torment, which was a very satisfying album. This new self-titled is even filthier, even more crushingly heavy, and even uglier than its predecessor. Continue reading “Genocide Pact – Genocide Pact (Review)”