July 2023 – Page 3 – Wonderbox Metal

The Zenith Passage – Datalysium (Review)

The Zenith Passage are a death metal band from the US and this is their third album.

Well, it’s been a shockingly long time since the first album by The Zenith Passage – Solipsist was released in 2016, and a lot has happened since then. When it comes to the band themselves, they have now returned with an almost completely new lineup, which includes a bassist and singer who were both in The Faceless. So, across its 46 minutes of material, what does Datalysium have to offer us, and does it match up to the hype? Continue reading “The Zenith Passage – Datalysium (Review)”

Thunder Horse – After the Fall (Review)

This is the third album from US doom metal band Thunder Horse.

After the Fall contains 40 minutes of quality doom. Spliced with elements of classic heavy metal, stoner, and hard rock, alongside splashes of psychedelia and progressive rock, Thunder Horse have crafted an album that’s worth spending some quality time with. Continue reading “Thunder Horse – After the Fall (Review)”

Somnuri – Desiderium (Review)

Somnuri are a sludge metal band from the US. and this is their third album.

Following on from 2021’s enjoyable Nefarious Wave comes Desiderium, a 38-minute feast of multi-genre sludge metal. On this new album Somnuri showcase their evolving sound, one that heightens the heaviness and aggression, while still retaining the key aspects of who they were before. Continue reading “Somnuri – Desiderium (Review)”

Rannoch – Conflagrations (Review)

Rannoch are a progressive death metal band from the UK and this is their third album.

Conflagrations offers a 52-minute journey into multifaceted music that falls somewhere between progressive death metal foundations and more ambitious extreme progressive metal proclivities. Bolstered by the percussive skills of the drummer of Ne Obliviscaris, Rannoch are a skilled band that have a clear vision for their brand of extreme music. Continue reading “Rannoch – Conflagrations (Review)”

Breaths – Floruit (Review)

This is the third album from US one-man post-metal band Breaths.

Having really enjoyed 2022’s Though Life Has Turned out Nothing Like I Imagined, It Is Far Better Than I Could Have Dreamt, I knew I wanted to check out what Flotuit had to offer. This new album might have a much shorter title, but has a lot longer duration at 65 minutes. Has this extra time been well spent? Continue reading “Breaths – Floruit (Review)”

Outer Heaven – Infinite Psychic Depths (Review)

This is the second album from US death metallers Outer Heaven.

I thoroughly enjoyed 2018’s Realms of Decay, and I can’t quite believe that it came out so long ago. Regardless, Outer Heaven are now back, and they have brought 46 minutes of shockingly good death metal with them. Continue reading “Outer Heaven – Infinite Psychic Depths (Review)”

Mizmor (מזמור) – Prosaic (Review)

This is the fourth album from US solo blackened doom band Mizmor, or מזמור.

Following on from 2019’s Cairn and 2022’s Wit’s End, Prosaic contains 46 minutes of new material from Mizmor. Prosaic is an emotive powerhouse, one that is surely destined for many well-deserved plaudits. Continue reading “Mizmor (מזמור) – Prosaic (Review)”

Saint Agnes – Bloodsuckers (Review)

Saint Agnes are a rock band from the UK and this is their second album.

Bloodsuckers mixes together elements of punk, industrial, metal, and grunge, into 42 minutes of dark electronically enhanced rock music. Continue reading “Saint Agnes – Bloodsuckers (Review)”

Sworn – A Journey Told Through Fire (Review)

Sworn are a Norwegian black metal band and this is their fourth album.

If you’re a fan of black metal with both melody and atmosphere, then A Journey Told Through Fire is a 50-minute feast of the stuff. Honestly, Sworn have something well above average going on here that combines the best of old and new. Continue reading “Sworn – A Journey Told Through Fire (Review)”

Quiet Man – The Starving Lesson (Review)

This is the debut album from Quiet Man, a doom/sludge band from the US who were formerly known as God Root.

Across 50 minutes Quiet Man bring an apocalyptic vision of darkness and extinction to the listener, rubbing their face into the contemporary horrors of existence as they unleash their wide-ranging sonic nightmarescapes. Continue reading “Quiet Man – The Starving Lesson (Review)”