July 2025 – Wonderbox Metal

Offal Fest – Sunday Evening – Defeated Sanity/Wormed/Indecent Excision/Iniquitous Savagery – Manchester Rebellion, 27/07/25 (Live Review)

Offal Fest is a three-day festival of ultra-brutal death metal carnage. It consists of two main days, with a pre-show. Originally I was meant to attend both the Saturday and the Sunday, but much to my chagrin life got in the way, and instead the final four bands of the Sunday are all that I can manage, (I’m particularly gutted about missing Skinless). It’s time to make the most of it though, as I can still see some cracking bands, and I’ve been looking forward to it. Continue reading “Offal Fest – Sunday Evening – Defeated Sanity/Wormed/Indecent Excision/Iniquitous Savagery – Manchester Rebellion, 27/07/25 (Live Review)”

Blessings – Blodsträngen (Review)

This is the third album from Blessings, a Swedish post-hardcore band.

Four years after Biskopskniven made it’s way onto my 2021 end of year list, Blessings are back, with the 41-minute Blodsträngen. Once again we’re gifted with an amalgam of hardcore, noise rock, post-metal, and sludge, giving rise to a post-hardcore experience that’s remarkable. Continue reading “Blessings – Blodsträngen (Review)”

Sea Mosquito – Majestas (Review)

This is the second album from UK black metallers Sea Mosquito.

Majestas contains 44 minutes of esoteric black metal. As a rough starting point, think of a compelling mix of bands such as Aara, Blut Aus Nord, Inherits the Void, Deathspell Omega, Labyrinthus Stellarum, Mare Cognitum, Selbst, and Vorga, although Sea Mosquito do offer up an experience that’s their own. Continue reading “Sea Mosquito – Majestas (Review)”

Kayo Dot – Every Rock, Every Half-Truth under Reason (Review)

This is the eleventh album from US experimental band Kayo Dot.

The tag experimental is frequently not a very useful one, but then Kayo Dot aren’t a band that invite easy categorisation. Every Rock, Every Half-Truth under Reason contains 66 minutes of music, and a range of styles and influences have gone into its creation. Continue reading “Kayo Dot – Every Rock, Every Half-Truth under Reason (Review)”

Praesider – Enter the Praesidium (Review)

This is the debut album from UK black metallers Praesider.

Enter the Praesidium contains 48 minutes of old-school symphonic black metal. Praesider’s music evokes such a strong sense of nostalgia in me for the 90s that it’s almost overwhelming. Make no mistake though, Praesider are a skilled bunch and know their subject matter inside out. Continue reading “Praesider – Enter the Praesidium (Review)”

Vakker – What Will Become of Our Pain (Review)

This is the debut album from US black metal band Vakker.

I only encountered What Will Become of Our Pain due to a random social media recommendation, and I’m very glad I did. Vakker play atmospheric black metal, only with the sort of horrific, monstrous vocals that you wouldn’t normally associate with the style. Continue reading “Vakker – What Will Become of Our Pain (Review)”

Ancient Death – Ego Dissolution (Review)

This is the debut album from US death metal band Ancient Death.

I missed this back in April, but it’s come repeatedly recommended to the point where I had to check it out. I’m glad I did. Ego Dissolution contains 35 minutes of vibrant classic death metal, played so well that I can easily see why Ancient Death have created a bit of a buzz around themselves. Continue reading “Ancient Death – Ego Dissolution (Review)”

Boneflower – Reveries (Review)

This is the third album from Spanish post-hardcore band Boneflower.

Reveries contains 38 minutes of music; a mix of hardcore, screamo, post-rock, and shoegaze, delivering a post-hardcore record that’s definitely above average for the style. Boneflower have produced an album that manages to walk two different paths simultaneously, and somehow manages to make it work. No mean feat. Continue reading “Boneflower – Reveries (Review)”

Shock Narcotic – My Flesh Is Afraid but I Am Not (Review)

This is the second album from Shock Narcotic, a grindcore band from the US.

Following on from 2019’s I Have Seen the Future and It Doesn’t Work, My Flesh Is Afraid but I Am Not contains 23 minutes of new material, (27 minutes with the bonus Meathook Seed cover). Featuring current and ex-members of bands such as The Dillinger Escape Plan and Child Bite, I’ve previously described Shock Narcotic roughly as a cross between Napalm Death and Pig Destroyer, and as the band now feature the drummer of Pig Destroyer in their ranks, the comparison is even more apt. Continue reading “Shock Narcotic – My Flesh Is Afraid but I Am Not (Review)”

Bloodletter – Leave the Light Behind (Review)

Bloodletter are a thrash metal band from the US and this is their fourth album.

Leave the Light Behind contains 35 minutes of well-written melodic thrash metal. Bloodletter bring something to thrash that I haven’t heard in ages – pure, unadulterated quality craftsmanship. I normally pass on thrash metal these days, but this one wouldn’t let me go. Continue reading “Bloodletter – Leave the Light Behind (Review)”