Atmospheric Black Metal – Wonderbox Metal

Wiegedood – There’s Always Blood at the End of the Road (Review)

Wiegedood are a Belgian black metal band and this is their fourth album.

Featuring current and ex-members of Living Gate, Amenra, and Oathbreaker, There’s Always Blood at the End of the Road features 44 minutes of new material. I really, really liked 2017’s De Doden Hebben Het Goed II, so I was looking forward to this new one, (apparently there was also an album after this from 2018, which I somehow managed to miss out on). As we’ll see below though, the Wiegedood of 2022 is a different beast to the one I knew. Since I last heard them Wiegedood’s sound has changed, and they have now become more extreme and more idiosyncratic. Continue reading “Wiegedood – There’s Always Blood at the End of the Road (Review)”

Antimony – Ending (Review)

This is the debut album from US one-man black metal act Antimony.

Antimony’s black metal is a combination of the progressive, atmospheric, and melodic styles. These are mixed together to produce lengthy songs that describe a journey into existential dread. The promo blurb states that it’s reminiscent of Moonsorrow, Mgła, and Drudkh, and this should give an appropriate starting reference for the style you’ll find on Ending. Continue reading “Antimony – Ending (Review)”

Tardigrada – Vom Bruch bis zur Freiheit (Review)

Tardigrada are a black metal band from Switzerland and this is their second album.

Vom Bruch bis zur Freiheit is 59 minutes long and contains four massive songs. Before each one of these sits a brief intro/interlude track, and against all expectations these are actually decent moments of rare calm and reflection amidst the atmospheric and emotive storms of the main songs. Continue reading “Tardigrada – Vom Bruch bis zur Freiheit (Review)”

Wonderbox Metal End of Year List – Best Metal of 2021

Yes, it’s that time of year again! 2021 gave us some very, very good metal, and I feel honoured to have been able to have listened to as much of it as I have done. There are some notable absences, (for me at least), from the below list, but there’s just not enough time or space for everything, dammit!

2020 was a very blackened year for me; I listened to a lot of black metal, and the list for that year reflected that. At the start of 2021 I decided I’d consciously try to ensure I cast my net a bit wider again, reconnecting more deeply with some of many other styles of metal that I enjoy. 2021’s list reflects this. However, I’ve still ended up with much more of a black metal presence in the list than I was initially expecting. What can I say? I’m a sucker for all of the myriad blackened flavours of the style. However, there’s also a lot of other stuff here that I hope you’ll dig into and enjoy too. I felt that there was a notable absence of grindcore in 2021, as well as some of the more extreme styles of doom. What do you think?

I hope you enjoy perusing some of my favourite records from this year, and I hope you find something new to tickle your fancy. What’s your number one this year? Continue reading “Wonderbox Metal End of Year List – Best Metal of 2021”

Inherits the Void – Monolith of Light (Review)

This is the debut album from Inherits the Void, a French one-man black metal act.

Monolith of Light is 37 minutes long and contains a form of melodically-rich atmospheric black metal that hits the spot quite nicely. The promo blurb tells us that the artist behind the band wanted to aim for “a meeting between influences from the ‘90s Swedish black metal scene and a more current orientation of the genre”, and I’d suggest that this has been achieved. The album has an old-school core that’s enhanced by more modern post-blackened influences. Continue reading “Inherits the Void – Monolith of Light (Review)”

Ethereal Shroud – Trisagion (Review)

This is the second album from UK solo atmospheric black metal band Ethereal Shroud.

Now this is my kind of album. The album boasts three colossal songs, with a total duration of 64 minutes; Trisagion is a dark odyssey that’s well-worth embarking on. Despite being essentially a solo work from a creative perspective, there are a number of other musicians on the album that help to flesh out the artist’s vision, providing bass, viola, drums, and female vocals, (the latter on the 28-minute opener Chasmal Fires). Continue reading “Ethereal Shroud – Trisagion (Review)”

Doodswens – Lichtvrees (Review)

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

Doodswens play black metal infused with the spirit of the Scandinavian second wave, and delivered with contemporary passion and mood-focused impact. Think a combination of the traditional old-school Darkthrone sound combined with the grim darkness of acts like Xasthur and Gnaw Their Tongues. Continue reading “Doodswens – Lichtvrees (Review)”

Aquilus – Bellum I (Review)

This is the second album from one-man Australian black metal act Aquilus.

Bellum I features 62 minutes of atmospheric black metal combined with folk and classical elements. The promo blurb states that Aquilus’ music is for fans of Midnight Odyssey, Skogen, and Falls of Rauros, which immediately caused me to be interested. I’d also add bands like Opeth, Ne Obliviscaris, Agalloch, and Wilderun to this list too. Continue reading “Aquilus – Bellum I (Review)”

Label Roundup: Avantgarde Music – Mesarthim, Ikarie, & Olio Tähtien Takana (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.

A new release from Avantgarde Music is almost always worth exploring. Whenever I see a new record from the label on the horizon, I know to pay attention. With a strong track record for producing engaging and interesting black metal and doom albums, there’s always something good to discover… Continue reading “Label Roundup: Avantgarde Music – Mesarthim, Ikarie, & Olio Tähtien Takana (Reviews)”

Der Weg Einer Freiheit – Noktvrn (Review)

This is the fifth album from German black metal band Der Weg Einer Freiheit.

Following on from 2017’s Finisterre, Noktvrn is an album that finds Der Weg Einer Freiheit at the height of their powers. Containing 48 minutes of progressive and atmospheric post-black metal, Der Weg Einer Freiheit sound darkly vibrant and full of expressive might. Continue reading “Der Weg Einer Freiheit – Noktvrn (Review)”