June 2022 – Wonderbox Metal

Spiralist – Eternal Recurrence (Review)

This is the second album from Spiralist, a solo post-metal act from Portugal.

Eternal Recurrence is an interesting album that’s hard to easily pin down when it comes to genre. Post-metal is probably the most obvious tag, but then there’s also a blackened aspect to parts of it. It has a pretty blatant progressive side too, sometimes, very 70s sci-fi in feel. There are also elements of doom and industrial that can be heard in places. I’m going to stick to the post-metal appellation and be done with it, but just know that the artist behind Spiralist cares not for producing easily categorised music. Continue reading “Spiralist – Eternal Recurrence (Review)”

Umbra Conscientia – Nigredine Mundi (Review)

Umbra Conscientia are a black metal band from Costa Rica/Germany, and this is their second album.

Featuring current and ex-members of Corpse Garden, Nigredine Mundi contains 32 minutes of black metal that will flay your skin while it summons daemonic horrors to swallow your soul. Continue reading “Umbra Conscientia – Nigredine Mundi (Review)”

Werewolves – From the Cave to the Grave (Review)

This is the third album from Australian blackened death metal band Werewolves.

Containing current and ex-members of like Akercocke, King, Pestilence, Psycroptic, and many more, a lot of experience has gone into the creation of Werewolves’ new album. From the Cave to the Grave contains 35 minutes of monstrous metallic mayhem, and the band are on fire. Continue reading “Werewolves – From the Cave to the Grave (Review)”

Chaotian – Effigies of Obsolescence (Review)

Chaotian are a death metal band from Denmark and this is their debut album.

Effigies of Obsolescence contains 40 minutes of barbarous death metal carnage.

This is a foul, rotten, death metal monster. The band deliver a Continue reading “Chaotian – Effigies of Obsolescence (Review)”

Knoll – Metempiric (Review)

This is the second album from US grindcore band Knoll.

Metempiric is a 34-minute shot of feral adrenaline. It is rare I come across grindcore these days, and even rarer for it to be good. It’s a great style when done right, and a lazy, boring one when not. Suffice to say, Metempiric is one of the best grind releases I’ve heard in what seems like forever. Continue reading “Knoll – Metempiric (Review)”

Liber Null – For Whom Is the Night (Review)

This is the second album from international black metal act Liber Null.

Brought to us by members of bands such as Fides Inversa, Frostmoon Eclipse, and Manetheren, For Whom Is the Night contains 39 minutes of lethal black metal venom. Continue reading “Liber Null – For Whom Is the Night (Review)”

Serpents Oath – Ascension (Review)

This is the second album from Belgian black metal band Serpents Oath.

Ascension contains 42 minutes of second wave black metal played in the classic style.

Serpents Oath’s music is dark and aggressive. It combines lethal speed with mystical atmosphere. Blackened leads add melodic Continue reading “Serpents Oath – Ascension (Review)”

Hush – The Pornography of Ruin (Review)

This is the third album from US doom/sludge metal band Hush.

Hush play the sort of hybrid sludge metal that I like – bleak, crushing, nasty, and very, very heavy, but also emotive and atmospheric. Across these 56 minutes the band dish out the punishment mercilessly, but they also do a lot more than just batter and bruise, which is great to hear, as otherwise a running time like that could easily become a burden. Continue reading “Hush – The Pornography of Ruin (Review)”

Entrails – An Eternal Time of Decay (Review)

This is the seventh album from Entrails, a Swedish death metal band.

A new Entrails album is always worth a listen. I enjoyed 2015’s Obliteration, 2017’s World Inferno, and 2019’s Rise of the Reaper, and An Eternal Time of Decay – with its 46 minutes of material – is no different. Continue reading “Entrails – An Eternal Time of Decay (Review)”

Saor – Origins (Review)

This is the fifth album from UK one-man black metal band Saor.

Brought to us by the artist behind Fuath, (and also an ex-member of Falloch), Saor’s music is well-regarded, although this is my first encounter with it. My loss, it seems, as Origins offers up a very compelling 41 minutes of atmospheric black metal. Continue reading “Saor – Origins (Review)”