May 2025 – Page 3 – Wonderbox Metal

Make Them Suffer/Resolve/Conjurer/If Not for Me – Academy 2, Manchester – 10/05/25 (Live Review)

I fell hard for last year’s Make Them Suffer, so the opportunity to catch the band live was irresistible. Since then, I’ve only enjoyed the album more and more, and I’ve delved into their back catalogue too. In general, I’m not a huge fan of modern metalcore, but Make Them Suffer are a notable exception. They somehow manage to effectively manifest a host of ideas and sounds that I would usually not care for most of the time; they have that special something in abundance.

Anyway, fawning over with, let’s get to the show. There are three other bands first, only one – Conjurer – that I already know. Continue reading “Make Them Suffer/Resolve/Conjurer/If Not for Me – Academy 2, Manchester – 10/05/25 (Live Review)”

Kal-EL – Astral Voyager Vol. 1 (Review)

This is the sixth album from Norwegian doom/stoner metal band Kal-El.

I thoroughly enjoyed 2021’s Dark Majesty, so I’m chuffed that there’s a new Kal-El album. More than just this one too, apparently. The first part of an ambitious double album, Astral Voyager Vol. 1 contains 42 minutes of new material from Kal-El. Let’s get stuck right in. Continue reading “Kal-EL – Astral Voyager Vol. 1 (Review)”

Blood Monolith – The Calling of Fire (Review)

This is the debut album from US death metal band Blood Monolith.

The Call of Fire contains 28 minutes of death metal, and is brought to us by current/ex-members of Genocide Pact, Nails, Ulthar, Undeath, and Vastum. Blood Monolith are ruthlessly savage, delivering a record that’s murderously good. Continue reading “Blood Monolith – The Calling of Fire (Review)”

Smiqra – Rɡyaɡ̇dźé! (Review)

This is the debut album by solo Chinese avant-garde extreme metal act Smiqra.

Brought to us by the artist behind the Ὁπλίτης (Hoplites), Smiqra take the more avant-garde aspects of the last Ὁπλίτης release Παραμαινομένη and runs with them. Rgyaɡ̇dźé! is a 42-minute explosion of avant-garde metal that’s dizzying. Continue reading “Smiqra – Rɡyaɡ̇dźé! (Review)”

Рожь (Rye) – Знание (Review)

This is the third album from Рожь (otherwise known as Rye), a one-man blackened doom band from Russia.

2023’s Всё was a record that made a strong impression, so it’s good to now have 40 minutes of new material from the artist behind Рожь. Знание contains just three tracks, but each is worth spending time with, as we’ll see. Continue reading “Рожь (Rye) – Знание (Review)”

Mütterlein – Amidst the Flames, May Our Organs Resound (Review)

This is the third album from French solo experimental act Mütterlein.

Following on from 2021’s split with Limbes and then debut album Bring Down the Flags, we now have the 40-minute Amidst the Flames, May Our Organs Resound. Continue reading “Mütterlein – Amidst the Flames, May Our Organs Resound (Review)”

Jade – Mysteries of a Flowery Dream (Review)

This is the second album from international death metal band Jade.

As a subgenre, atmospheric death metal never really took off like its black metal counterpart did. However, if you want a good example of what it might look like, then look no further than Jade. Making a good impression with 2022’s The Pacification of Death, and cementing this with last year’s split with Sanctuarium, the 43-minute Mysteries of a Flowery Dream is one I’ve been looking forward to. Continue reading “Jade – Mysteries of a Flowery Dream (Review)”

Lust Hag – Irrevocably Drubbed (Review)

This is the second album from Lust Hag, a solo black metal act from the US.

I didn’t expect a new Lust Hag album so soon after the artist’s first one from last year, but I shouldn’t have been surprised I suppose. After all, since then, she has also released Prayers Unanswered, (a split with Reaping Fields,), and a split with Genital Shame. As a big fan of Lust Hag, the 44-minute Irrevocably Drubbed is very well-received. Continue reading “Lust Hag – Irrevocably Drubbed (Review)”

Ghost Bath – Rose Thorn Necklace (Review)

Ghost Bath are a depressive black metal band from the US and this is their fifth album.

I do like a bit of Ghost Bath. Both 2017’s Starmourner and 2021’s Self Loather were very enjoyable, despite actually being quite different. Out if the two, Rose Thorn Necklace is probably closer in style overall to Self Loather, although is by no means a repeat of it. Continue reading “Ghost Bath – Rose Thorn Necklace (Review)”

Behemoth – The Shit ov God (Review)

Behemoth are a Polish blackened death metal band and this is their thirteenth album.

I thoroughly enjoyed 2018’s I Loved You at Your Darkest, but somehow missed its follow up. Not so with The Shit ov God, which gives us – dodgy name aside – 39 minutes of new material from Behemoth’s charismatic blend of death and black metal. Continue reading “Behemoth – The Shit ov God (Review)”