Vintras are a UK black metal band and this is their debut album.
Here’s a tasty blackened treat from earlier in the year that you really need in your life. Brought to us by members of Ageless Summoning, Ashen Horde, Evilyn, Norse, Of Spire and Throne, Sluagh, Somnium Nox, and Virulent Depravity, I couldn’t help but expect good things from Vintras. And believe me, Timescarred does not disappoint. Continue reading “Vintras – Timescarred (Review)”
This is the debut album from Australian death metallers Sarcophagum.
Essentially a side band of the gloriously nasty Golgothan Remains, (three out of four members have links to the band), Sarcophagum also boast the talents of the drummer of the mighty Ashen Horde, (also current/ex-member of Blade of Horus, Decrepid, Evilyn, Norse, Somnium Nox, Virulent Depravity, and more). Suffice to say, I knew I had to check this out. Continue reading “Sarcophagum – The Grand Arc of Madness (Review)”
Evilyn are an international death metal band and this is their debut album.
Evilyn play a form of death metal with strong avant-garde/dissonant leanings. Mondostrunken contains 36 minutes of material, showcasing a band that have honed their vision into an atypical beast. Continue reading “Evilyn – Mondestrunken (Review)”
Abhoria are a black metal band from the US and this is their second album.
Featuring members of the mighty Ashen Horde, Depths is the 45-minute follow up Abhoria’s 2022’s self-titled record. There’s a new vocalist this time around too, (from In the Company of Serpents), who delivers a visceral performance throughout, with savage screams and world-swallowing growls. Continue reading “Abhoria – Depths (Review)”
Welcome to my annual attempt to make sense of the ridiculous amount of good metal albums out there, awaiting discovery by intrepid metal explorers.
2023’s best of list has been one of the more difficult ones to put together, placing-wise, which is one of the reasons that I’m posting it later than I usually do. Even more so than normal many of the slots are interchangeable, and I especially struggled with positions two-nine – if such a thing were possible, they all deserve to be higher! In the end I decided to stop overthinking it and go with my gut, but the usual caveat of these lists being very subjective and subject to change depending on mood, feelings, etc. is larger than normal here.
There are some notable acts missing form the below. Not because they’re not worthy of inclusion, but because there are only so many spaces to be had. In fact, I almost ended up limiting this list to 20, rather than the now-customary 30, as I found it really difficult to know who to include and who not to. In the end I went with the standard 30 so that I could promote a few extra bands, as they absolutely all deserve it.
As for the top position, I wasn’t expecting it to be filled by a band I’d never heard before, playing a style that I don’t listen to as much as I used to. However, I suppose after last year, I shouldn’t have been too surprised.
I do hope you enjoy this list and find some new music to obsess over. Like always, thanks for your support if you have ever visited this site before, and here’s to a great 2024 for as many of us as possible. Continue reading “Wonderbox Metal End of Year List – Best Metal of 2023”
This is the third album from German death metal band Infecting the Swarm.
(Deep breath…)
BRUTAL!
DEATH!
METARRRGGHHHH!
Now, here’s an album I have been looking forward to. Both Continue reading “Infecting the Swarm – Pulsing Coalescence (Review)”
Another year, another chance for metal to excel. So what has January brought us? Continue reading “Monthly Overview – the Best of January 2023”
This is the fourth album from US black metal act Ashen Horde.
Ashen Horde boast current and ex-members of bands such as Abhoria, Norse, Somnium Nox, Inferi, Equipoise, and Virulent Depravity in their ranks, and we’ve met them before on Nine Plagues and The Alchemist. Now they’re back with Antimony, a 51-minute vision of gripping extreme metal, (49 minutes without the bonus Therapy? cover). Continue reading “Ashen Horde – Antimony (Review)”
Æpoch are a Canadian death metal band and this is their debut album.
Æpoch play progressive death metal, with additional elements of both black and thrash metal appearing in their sound here and there. Continue reading “Æpoch – Awakening Inception (Review)”
Ashen Horde are a black metal band from the US and this is their latest EP.
2015’s Nine Plagues was a striking record. Now, we’re treated to an equally striking two-track EP named The Alchemist. Continue reading “Ashen Horde – The Alchemist (Review)”
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