wonderboxmetal

Mara – Loka Mær (Review)

Mara are a Swedish black metal band and this is their fourth album.

Following on from 2019’s enjoyable RÖK, Loka Mær delivers a scant 26 minutes, but what it lacks in quantity it makes up for in quality. Continue reading “Mara – Loka Mær (Review)”

Cardinals Folly/Purification – Possessed in the Ritual Grove – Split (Review)

This is a spilt between two doom metal bands – Cardinals Folly from Finland and Purification from the US.

I like Cardinals Folly very much, (see here, here, and here), so it’s always a pleasure to hear new material from them. On this split the band give us 18 minutes of new music divided into three songs. Continue reading “Cardinals Folly/Purification – Possessed in the Ritual Grove – Split (Review)”

Krvl – Kravaal (Review)

Krvl are a Belgian post-black metal band and this is their debut album.

On Kravaal we are treated to a traditional blackened sound that’s been augmented with modern elements. Krvl combine a 90s second wave influence with a modern black metal approach that Continue reading “Krvl – Kravaal (Review)”

Izthmi – Leaving This World, Leaving It All Behind (Review)

This is the second album from Izthmi, a black metal band from the US.

Izthmi play an atmospheric form of modern progressive black metal. Continue reading “Izthmi – Leaving This World, Leaving It All Behind (Review)”

Vein.fm – This World Is Going to Ruin You (Review)

This is the second album from Vein.fm, a metal band from the US.

Vein.fm are clearly a band with a lot of influences, and across the 32 minutes of material on This World Is Going to Ruin You, they wield these influences like weapons. Flourishing elements of hardcore, mathcore, metalcore, industrial, and nu-metal into a Continue reading “Vein.fm – This World Is Going to Ruin You (Review)”

Monthly Overview – the Best of February 2022

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”

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)”