Arcturus – Wonderbox Metal

Pestilent Hex – The Ashen Abhorrence (Review)

Pestilent Hex are a black metal band from Finland and this is their debut album.

Brough to us by members of Corpsessed and Desolate Shrine, The Ashen Abhorrence contains 42 minutes of authentic second wave black metal. Worshipping at the altar of the 90s classics, Pestilent Hex combine elements of bands such as Emperor, Gehenna, Satyricon, Dimmu Borgir, and Arcturus, while injecting their own grim character, to produce an enjoyable slice of symphonic blackened art. Continue reading “Pestilent Hex – The Ashen Abhorrence (Review)”

Helioss – Contre ma Lumière (Review)

This is the fifth album from French progressive black/death metallers.

Helioss play a hybrid style of black and death metal that has progressive influences and symphonic aspects. Across 62 minutes Contre ma Lumière delivers a multifaceted album of atmosphere, aggression, and majestic grandeur. Continue reading “Helioss – Contre ma Lumière (Review)”

Label Roundup: I, Voidhanger Records – Creature, Mystras, Ars Magna Umbrae, & Vertebra Atlantis (Reviews)

Wonderbox Metal gets sent a lot of new music, (which is great), but there’s no way that everything can get covered unfortunately, (which is not so great). This new column hopes to redress this balance, if only slightly, by taking a look at a handful of releases that a record label has recently sent out that might have otherwise slipped through the cracks.

I, Voidhanger Records consistently puts out high quality, frequently non-standard music. One of their releases is always an interesting proposition to explore. Below you’ll find four of the label’s more recent ones; make sure you give each of them the time it deserves… Continue reading “Label Roundup: I, Voidhanger Records – Creature, Mystras, Ars Magna Umbrae, & Vertebra Atlantis (Reviews)”

Teitan – Vákuum (Review)

Teitan is a one-man black metal band from the Netherlands and this is his latest EP.

Vákuum contains 22 minutes of avant-garde black metal that’s played with skill and charisma.

This is atypical black metal that reminds me of the more experimental edges of the late 90s and early 00s black metal scenes. When bands like Dødheimsgard, Continue reading “Teitan – Vákuum (Review)”

Wills Dissolve – Echoes (Review)

This is the second album from Wills Dissolve, a progressive metal band from the US.

Wills Dissolve play a multigenre form of progressive metal that takes in a range of other styles and subgenres. Progressive black/death metal, post-metal, ambient, doom metal, and progressive rock are all included in Echoes, and all get Continue reading “Wills Dissolve – Echoes (Review)”

Khôra – Timaeus (Review)

This is the debut album from Khôra, a black metal band.

Featuring a member of Dødheimsgard, and so many guests it’s quite remarkable, (mainly on vocals or keyboards, and from bands such as …And Oceans, Amiensus, Dødheimsgard, Finntroll, Nòtt, and Moonsorrow), a lot of talent and experience has gone into Timaeus. Continue reading “Khôra – Timaeus (Review)”

Khanus – Flammarion (Review)

Khanus are a Finnish blackened death metal band and this is their debut album.

Featuring a member of Code, Khanus play unorthodox black/death metal with a depth of appeal that comes from ritualistic, shamanistic, and occult influences, as well as the aspects of non-death metal styles that the music incorporates into itself. Continue reading “Khanus – Flammarion (Review)”

Horrorgraphy – Season of Grief (Review)

Horrorgraphy are a symphonic doom metal band from Greece and this is their debut album.

Here’s a rather unusual release, (for 2018 at least), both in form and consistency; the band is made up of three vocalists and one multi-instrumentalist, while the music is layered old-school doom metal, with a firm symphonic side and rich melodies. Continue reading “Horrorgraphy – Season of Grief (Review)”

LÜÜP – Canticles of the Holy Scythe (Review)

LÜÜP is a, (deep breath), Greek one man experimental avant-garde blackened classical band, (phew), and this is his third album.

Canticles of the Holy Scythe features 37 minutes of music that consists of a black metal undercoat, which has then been fully fleshed out and painted with colours from folk, progressive, avant-garde, ambient, and classical music. Continue reading “LÜÜP – Canticles of the Holy Scythe (Review)”

Suns of Sorath – Flowers of the Lily (Review)

This is the debut album from Suns of Sorath, a progressive black/death metal band from the US.

Flowers of the Lily boasts a lot of complex, technical playing. This has been structured into progressive music with black/death leanings, and peppered with avant-garde, classical, and jazz influences. Continue reading “Suns of Sorath – Flowers of the Lily (Review)”