Reviews – Page 36 – Wonderbox Metal

Aphonic Threnody – A Silence Too Old (Review)

Aphonic Threnody are a UK funeral doom band and this is their sixth album.

New Aphonic Threnody is always a gloomy, miserable treat. Of Loss and Grief, The Great Hatred, The All Consuming Void, and the colossal The Loneliest Walk were all exemplars of funeral doom, so make sure you check them out if you haven’t. This time around, the artist behind Aphonic Threnody gives us 64 minutes of darkness in the shape of A Silence Too Old, which, as an added treat, features the ultra-prolific Déhà on vocals. Continue reading “Aphonic Threnody – A Silence Too Old (Review)”

Rivers of Nihil – Rivers of Nihil (Review)

This is the fifth album from US death metal band Rivers of Nihil.

Ah, the eponymously titled album, so far into a band’s career always gives me pause. Does it mark a career-best record, a reinvention, or a lack of identity? The album even carries a song called Rivers of Nihil. What’s going on here then? Which way will the band go with this? Continue reading “Rivers of Nihil – Rivers of Nihil (Review)”

Weeping Sores – The Convalescence Agonies (Review)

Weeping Sores are a death/doom band from the US and this is their second album.

Brought to us by two members from bands such as Pyrrhon, Scarcity, and Seputus, The Convalescence Agonies contains 45 minutes of material. The style is death/doom, enriched with cello, keyboards, and on one track banjo. Continue reading “Weeping Sores – The Convalescence Agonies (Review)”

The Haunted – Songs of Last Resort (Review)

The Haunted are a Swedish thrash metal band and this is their tenth album.

The first album from The Haunted since 2017’s Strength in Numbers is a big deal, at least around these parts. Containing 41 minutes of blistering high-octane thrash, The Haunted have returned, big style. Continue reading “The Haunted – Songs of Last Resort (Review)”

Coltsblood – Obscured into Nebulous Dusk (Review)

Coltsblood are a doom band from the UK and this is their third album.

Following on from 2019’s split with Un, (which I thoroughly enjoyed), it’s great to have a new album from Coltsblood to get to grips with. It’s four songs, 42 minutes of hideous blackened doom nastiness. Continue reading “Coltsblood – Obscured into Nebulous Dusk (Review)”

Trivax – The Great Satan (Review)

Trivax are an Iranian/UK black metal band and this is their third album.

Trivax made a good start with 2017’s SIN, but then totally ascended a level with its 2023 follow up Eloah Burns Out – a record that has only grown in power over time. Relatively quickly though we now have the 43-minute The Great Satan, and it’s time to see if a speedy turnaround has been good to Trivax or not. Continue reading “Trivax – The Great Satan (Review)”

Vildhjarta – + Där Skogen Sjunger Under Evighetens Granar + (Review)

Vildhjarta are a Swedish progressive metal band and this is their third album.

Following on from 2021’s Måsstaden Under Vatten, Vildhjarta have returned with the 59-minute + Där Skogen Sjunger Under Evighetens Granar +. As much as I liked its predecessor, I like this one better. Continue reading “Vildhjarta – + Där Skogen Sjunger Under Evighetens Granar + (Review)”

Pelican – Flickering Resonance (Review)

Pelican are a post-metal band from the US and this is their seventh album.

Following on from 2019’s Nighttime Stories comes the 51-minute Flickering Resonance. A new Pelican release is always a noteworthy event, so I was very happy to be able dive into this new album when it appeared. Continue reading “Pelican – Flickering Resonance (Review)”

The Callous Daoboys – I Don’t Want to See You in Heaven (Review)

This is the third album from US hardcore band The Callous Daoboys.

Full of genre-splicing, creative sounds, and adventurous ideas, I Don’t Want to See You in Heaven is a 57-minute embarrassment of riches. It’s a diverse record, ripe with captivating riffs, reflective introspection, huge breakdowns, pop hooks, and much else. Continue reading “The Callous Daoboys – I Don’t Want to See You in Heaven (Review)”

Pridian – Venetian Dark (Review)

This is the debut album from Estonian modern metallers Pridian.

Venetian Dark is a 44-minute contemporary metal album that ably showcases Pridian’s skillset. The band’s music is an amalgam of metalcore, nu-metal, djent, and progressive metal. Think a mix of acts such as Meshuggah, Tesseract, Mnemic, Spiritbox, Gojira, and Make Them Suffer, as a rough starting point. Continue reading “Pridian – Venetian Dark (Review)”