October 2024 – Page 2 – Wonderbox Metal

Fit for an Autopsy – The Nothing That Is (Review)

Fit for an Autopsy are a deathcore band from the US and this is their seventh album.

I do so like Fit for an Autopsy. If you haven’t already, check out The Depression Sessions, The Great Collapse, The Sea of Tragic Beasts, Oh What the Future Holds, and The Aggression Sessions; all are worth your time and document a band increasingly carving their own niche in deathcore’s crowded landscapes. So then, what do the 44 minutes of new material on The Nothing That Is provide us with? Continue reading “Fit for an Autopsy – The Nothing That Is (Review)”

Iotunn – Kinship (Review)

Iotunn are a progressive metal band from Denmark, and this is their second album.

Now here’s one that’s been greatly anticipated. It’s an absolute travesty that Iotunn’s 2021 debut Access All Worlds didn’t end up on that year’s end of year list. How it didn’t I’ll never know, as it would easily have been in the top 5 or 10. Entirely my mistake, as it’s a fantastic record. All of which is to say that Kinship has a lot of expectation riding on it. Continue reading “Iotunn – Kinship (Review)”

Schammasch – The Maldoror Chants: Old Ocean (Review)

Schammasch are a black metal band from Switzerland and this is their fifth album.

I have been really excited to hear this one. I’ve been a big fan of everything I’ve heard from Schammasch; make sure you check out 2016’s Triangle and 2019’s Hearts of No Light, both of which are top tier records, and both of which placed on my end of year lists for 2016 and 2019. Interestingly though, The Maldoror Chants: Old Ocean is the spiritual follow up to Schammasch’s 2017 avant-garde EP The Maldoror Chants: Hermaphrodite, making me even more interested to find out what this new opus had to offer. Continue reading “Schammasch – The Maldoror Chants: Old Ocean (Review)”

Gaerea – Coma (Review)

This is the fourth album from Portuguese black metallers Gaerea.

Ever since I first heard 2018’s Unsettling Whispers Gaerea have stood out to me as something pretty special. In 2020 Limbo solidified this opinion, and then in 2022 Mirage cemented this further. In fact, my appreciation of Mirage has only increased since catching the band’s transcendental live experience at this year’s fantastic Fortress Festival. I have high hopes for Coma. Continue reading “Gaerea – Coma (Review)”

Black Curse – Burning in Celestial Poison (Review)

Black Curse are a US black/death metal band and this is their second album.

Following on from 2020’s hideously good Endless Wound, comes the 45-minute monstrosity that is Burning in Celestial Poison. Featuring five tracks that are mostly far longer than their predecessors, Black Curse have unleashed a severe statement of malevolent intent with their new record. Continue reading “Black Curse – Burning in Celestial Poison (Review)”

Thaw – Fading Backwards (Review)

This is the fifth album from Polish experimental metal band Thaw.

It’s been more than a while since 2017’s Grains, so I was intrigued to see what Thaw have to offer in 2024. An experimental act, who have operated in black metal, sludge, doom, drone, ambient, and noise waters across their career, what does Fading Backwards and its 36 minutes of new material bring us? Continue reading “Thaw – Fading Backwards (Review)”

Black Aleph – Apsides (Review)

This is the debut album from Australian post-rock/drone band Black Aleph.

Here we have a compelling work of post-rock and drone, one that’s enriched with doom elements and has a dark atmospheric weight that’s enthralling. Now, with that sort of description you might be expecting a monstrous record of sprawling song lengths from Black Aleph, but you’d be mistaken, as Apsides is a mere 29 minutes long. Continue reading “Black Aleph – Apsides (Review)”

Dawnwalker – The Unknowing (Review)

This is the sixth album from UK progressive rock band Dawnwalker.

2022’s House of Sand was such a good record. Two years later, we have The Knowing, which delivers 38 minutes of new material. On this new record the mastermind behind the band has been joined by a new collective of musicians, and a fresh sound. Continue reading “Dawnwalker – The Unknowing (Review)”

Immortal Bird – Sin Querencia (Review)

This is the third album from US blackened extreme metallers Immortal Bird.

It’s been a long time since 2019’s Thrive on Neglect and an even longer time since 2015’s Empress/Abscess, (a standout release of that year), so it’s a real treat to have Immortal Bird back with us. Continue reading “Immortal Bird – Sin Querencia (Review)”

Persecutory – The Glorious Persecution (Review)

This is the latest EP from Persecutory, a Turkish black metal band.

It’s been quite some time since I caught up with Persecutory. 2016’s Perversion Feeds Our Force, in fact. They’re had two albums released in the meantime, neither of which I’ve heard, so The Glorious Persecution is as good a time as any to get reacquainted with the band’s aggressive sound. Continue reading “Persecutory – The Glorious Persecution (Review)”