Similar to January, February was a surprisingly strong month for metal albums. There were many highlights, and limiting my recommendations to just the below five as not easy. Have a look at the albums below… Continue reading “Monthly Overview – the Best of February 2022”
Author: wonderboxmetal
Hath – All That Was Promised (Review)
Hath are a progressive blackened death metal band from the US, and this is their second album.
This is the follow up to 2019’s very well-received Of Rot and Ruin. On All That Was Promised Hath, (who feature current and ex-members of Cognitive and Dystrophy), return with 52 minutes of new material. Continue reading “Hath – All That Was Promised (Review)”
Sylvaine – Nova (Review)
This is the fourth album from Norwegian blackgaze/post-metal one-woman act Sylvaine.
Nova is a highly atmospheric journey. If you’re a fan of the shoegaze/blackgaze genres, then this is for you. The promo blurb states that this is for fans of bands such as Alcest, Deafheaven, Harakiri for the Sky, and Emma Ruth Rundle, and it’s hard to argue with that. Continue reading “Sylvaine – Nova (Review)”
Crowbar – Zero and Below (Review)
This is the twelfth album from US sludge metal legends Crowbar.
In an ideal world Crowbar whould need little introduction. The band have been toiling away producing some of the absolute best song-based sludge metal since the early nineties, and have managed to not only amass a huge discography of great songs and albums, but have done so while basically carving their own path through the metal landscape. Continue reading “Crowbar – Zero and Below (Review)”
Kuolemanlaakso – Kuusumu (Review)
Kuolemanlaakso are a Gothic metal band from Finland and this is their third album.
Featuring the singer of Swallow the Sun, Kuusumu contains 47 minutes of polished, professional material. For a starting reference point think of a band like Paradise Lost, and then add in elements of acts such as My Dying Bride, Sentenced, Barren Earth, Amorphis, and Orphaned Land; this will give you a rough idea of where Kuolemanlaakso’s talents lie. Continue reading “Kuolemanlaakso – Kuusumu (Review)”
JIRM – The Tunnel, the Well, Holy Bedlam (Review)
JIRM, (previously known as Jeremy Irons and the Ratgang Malibus), are a Swedish hard rock band and this is their fifth album.
Following on from 2018’s Surge ex Monumentis, JIRM’s new offering contains 52 minutes of hard rocking atmosphere and progressive wanderings. Continue reading “JIRM – The Tunnel, the Well, Holy Bedlam (Review)”
Ritual Necromancy/Fossilization – Split (Review)
This split is between Ritual Necromancy from the US and Fossilization from Brazil. Both are death metal acts with doom influences.
Ritual Necromancy, (featuring a member of Decrepisy), open the split with a 15-minute track named Enter the Depths. Continue reading “Ritual Necromancy/Fossilization – Split (Review)”
Abraham – Débris de Mondes Perdus (Review)
This is the fourth album from Swiss post-hardcore/metal band Abraham.
Abraham craft eight post-hardcore/metal soundscapes with layered compositions and multifaceted songwriting. The obvious starting point for comparisons would be a band like Neurosis, but with added elements of bands like Knut, Deadguy, and Botch. Continue reading “Abraham – Débris de Mondes Perdus (Review)”
An Evening Redness – An Evening Redness (Review)
This is the debut album from An Evening Redness, a drone/doom band.
An Evening Redness gives us a 55-minute journey into doom, dark ambient, and drone, one that uses worldbuilding to effectively craft entire vistas of bleak, sparse environments. Continue reading “An Evening Redness – An Evening Redness (Review)”
Allegaeon – Damnum (Review)
Allegaeon are a death metal band from the US and this is their sixth album.
There’s something about Allegaeon’s music that’s very satisfying and moreish. The band have discovered a blending of technicality, progressive flourish, and melodic might that simply works, and works well. Both 2016’s Proponent for Sentience and 2019’s Apoptosis were both great records, ably showcasing Allegaeon’s style of music. Now, in 2022, what does Damnum hold for us? Continue reading “Allegaeon – Damnum (Review)”
