Baroness – Wonderbox Metal

Monolord – Neverending (Review)

Monolord are a doom metal band from Sweden and this is their sixth album.

If you have never encountered Monolord before, then prepare yourself for classic doom metal shenanigans, seasoned with a contemporary delivery. The promo blurb should sort you out as a decent starting point, stating that the 43-minute Neverending is for fans of bands like Electric Wizard, Sleep, Windhand, Black Sabbath, Baroness, Yob, Red Fang, and Mastodon. Good company to keep. Continue reading “Monolord – Neverending (Review)”

Witch Ripper – The Flight After the Fall (Review)

This is the second album from US stoner/sludge metal band Witch Ripper.

Witch Ripper play a brand of heavy music that exists somewhere between sludge metal and progressive rock. The Flight After the Fall is an ambitious and enjoyable slab of modern progressive sludge that takes the listener on a 47-minute journey into expressive and emotive waters. Continue reading “Witch Ripper – The Flight After the Fall (Review)”

Abrams – In the Dark (Review)

Abrams are a psychedelic rock band from the US and this is their fourth album.

Abrams’ sound is an interesting one. The band fuse a few different genres and styles – psychedelic, alternative, stoner, sludge, grunge, and post-metal – into music that drips with gorgeous singing and emotive guitars. Continue reading “Abrams – In the Dark (Review)”

Druids – Shadow Work (Review)

This is the fourth album from progressive/stoner metal band Druids.

After very much enjoying 2016’s Cycles of Mobeum, 2017’s Spirit Compass, and 2019’s Monument, I knew I wanted to check out Shadow Work as soon as it saw the light of day. Continue reading “Druids – Shadow Work (Review)”

Cave In – Heavy Pendulum (Review)

Cave In are a US post-hardcore/rock band and this is their seventh album.

Following on from 2019’s Final Transmission, Heavy Pendulum is somewhat of a different beast to their last album. Whereas Final Transmission was short, (31 minutes), fragile, and emotive, reflective of the effects of tragedy and loss, Heavy Pendulum is long, (71 minutes), has greater range, (though still emotive), and more reflective of the band’s varied discography as a whole. Continue reading “Cave In – Heavy Pendulum (Review)”

Cities of Mars – Cities of Mars (Review)

This is the third album from Swedish doom metal band Cities of Mars.

Cities of Mars offers a richly textured doom experience that combines elements of sludge, stoner, and ambient into itself. The promo blurb says that Cities of Mars is for fans of Mastodon, Kylesa, Sleep, Baroness, and The Sword, and that’s as good a place as any to start with. Continue reading “Cities of Mars – Cities of Mars (Review)”

Mur – Cut the Rivers Vein (Review)

This is the fourth album from one-man blackened doom act Mur.

Cut the Rivers Vein spends 51 minutes mixing together doom, post-metal, and black metal, with elements of folk, ambient, and drone, to great effect. Continue reading “Mur – Cut the Rivers Vein (Review)”

Somnuri – Nefarious Wave (Review)

Somnuri are a sludge metal band from the US. and this is their second album.

Featuring an ex-member of Cleanteeth, Somnuri’s sound can best be described as something like progressive sludge metal. The promo blurb mentions bands such as High on Fire, Mastodon, Converge, Torche, and Baroness, and this sets the scene nicely. However, while all of the Continue reading “Somnuri – Nefarious Wave (Review)”

Hyborian – Volume II (Review)

Hyborian are a stoner metal band from the US and this is their second album.

Hyborian’s first album Vol. 1 was infectious and moreish, and made a strong impression. Volume II continues with Hyborian’s hyper-palatable style, providing 40 minutes of anthemic tunes that are near-impossible to dislike. Continue reading “Hyborian – Volume II (Review)”

Timeworn – Leave the Soul for Now (Review)

This is the third album from Timeworn, a Norwegian sludge metal band.

This is riff-friendly sludge metal, with both a hardcore influence and an atmospheric one. There’s a mix of the harsh and the beautiful here, which is weighted towards the energetic former, but the latter is still an important part of the band’s sound too. Continue reading “Timeworn – Leave the Soul for Now (Review)”