Wonderbox Metal

Damnation Festival Preview

The UK’s Damnation Festival is fast approaching. Saturday 5th November will see a plethora of top metal bands, large and small, take to the stage in Leeds to show off their music, and there’s a lot to be excited about.

With a whopping 4 stages and a wealth of metal talent spread across many genres and drawn from all over the globe, there’s bound to be something here to satiate even the most jaded of metal tastes. There’s a very good reason it’s my favourite UK festival and seems to only be going from strength to strength every year. Continue reading “Damnation Festival Preview”

Gatecreeper – Sonoran Depravation (Review)

This is the debut album from this US death metal band.

Gatecreeper play old-school death metal with an authentic and passionate delivery. It’s heavy, with a crushing atmosphere and songs that are more memorable than they probably have a right to be. Continue reading “Gatecreeper – Sonoran Depravation (Review)”

Echelon – The Brimstone Aggrandizement (Review)

Echelon are an international death metal supergroup. This is their second album.

With a lineup that contains a huge amount of experience; like the recently released Stench Price, (which shares personnel), I’m just going to list the various members below from the press blurb for ease of clarity –

Dave Ingram (Hail of Bullets, ex-Bolt Thrower, ex-Benediction)
Rogga Johansson (Paganizer, Demiurg, Putrevore)
Johan Berglund (Ribspreader, The Grotesquery)
Kjetil Lynghaug (Johansson & Speckmann, Paganizer)
Travis Ruvo (Akatharta, Cropsy Maniac)

As you can see. These guys know a thing or two about death metal. Continue reading “Echelon – The Brimstone Aggrandizement (Review)”

Cerberus Unchained – Di Inferi (Review)

Cerberus Unchained are a melodic death metal band from the UK. This is their debut EP.

After their early promise, it’s time to see if Cerberus Unchained have lived up to their potential on this new, 26 minute EP.

(Spoiler: They have).

The EP boasts a strong, beefy recording that sees the band immediately stake claim to the airwaves with Continue reading “Cerberus Unchained – Di Inferi (Review)”

Obituary – Ten Thousand Ways to Die (Review)

Obituary are a legendary death metal band from the US and this is their latest release.

Featuring two brand new studio songs and 12 live tracks recorded during their 2015 Inked in Blood world tour, this is a Continue reading “Obituary – Ten Thousand Ways to Die (Review)”

Wovenwar – Honor Is Dead (Review)

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

Rising from the ashes of As I Lay Dying, this is my first encounter with Wovenwar. Although ostensibly treading similar ground as their parent band, Wovenwar are overall a different, darker and more nuanced beast. Continue reading “Wovenwar – Honor Is Dead (Review)”

Insect Death – Perpetuating Idiocy (Review)

Insect Death is a one-man grindcore band from the US.

A member of Chalice of Suffering has unleashed this small, short gem of a grind release. It’s brutally concise and an utterly vicious little beast.

The fact that the band name, (and logo), is a combination of Insect Warfare and Napalm Death should tell you a lot about this.

So, this is grindcore that owes a debt to Continue reading “Insect Death – Perpetuating Idiocy (Review)”

Neurosis – Fires Within Fires (Review)

This is the eleventh album from legendary genre-forgers Neurosis. They play post-metal/progressive sludge/doom/whatever.

The impact of Neurosis on the post-metal/sludge/doom/etc. scene is immense and has been well-documented, of course. Suffice to say that this is an important band producing important music. They always have been and probably, (hopefully), always will be. Continue reading “Neurosis – Fires Within Fires (Review)”

Singularity – Void Walker (Review)

This is the latest EP from US black metallers Singularity.

Singularity are an interesting beast. They play technical black metal, which by itself is a relatively unusual sub-genre. Add in a symphonic side to this and their self-titled debut album was an atypical and enjoyable release. Continue reading “Singularity – Void Walker (Review)”

Crystalmoors – The Mountain Will Forgive Us (Review)

Crystalmoors are a Spanish pagan/folk black metal band and this is their third album.

This is a double-album release consisting of two different parts. The first is named The Sap That Feeds Us and the second is named La Montaña.

The Sap That Feeds Us is pagan/folk black metal that should find fans in any that favour the work of Dissection, Primordial, Agalloch and Drudkh.

I like the blackened Continue reading “Crystalmoors – The Mountain Will Forgive Us (Review)”