Black metal – Wonderbox Metal

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)”

Monthly Overview – the Best of November 2021

Many fine records were released in November, too many to do justice to here. Instead I’ll just pick five of my favourites. The below albums are all quite different, but all striking in their own individual ways… Continue reading “Monthly Overview – the Best of November 2021”

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)”

Gurthang – Hearts of the Hollow (Review)

This is the seventh album from Polish black metal act Gurthang.

2019’s Ascension was an album that I enjoyed at the time, but which has only increased in my estimation since. As such, I was eager to hear their latest creation. Continue reading “Gurthang – Hearts of the Hollow (Review)”

Anomalie – Tranceformation (Review)

Anomalie are an Austrian post-black metal band and this is their fourth album.

Following on from 2017’s well-received Visions, (via an EP I haven’t heard), Tranceformation contains 44 minutes of new material, and comes with a newly-focused direction to boot. A rough reference point for what Tranceformation sounds like would be a mix of bands such as Schammasch, Enslaved, and old Anomalie, although to be honest this is only a very approximate guide at best, especially as some songs have a modern doom metal flavour too, (most notably opening track). Continue reading “Anomalie – Tranceformation (Review)”

Hemelbestormer – Collide & Merge (Review)

This is the third album from Belgian post-metallers Hemelbestormer.

I’m not the biggest fan of instrumental music, but sometimes a band comes along and makes it work notably well. With 2016’s Aether and 2018’s A Ring of Blue Light, Hemelbestormer were just one such band. Now they’ve returned with Collide & Merge, which boasts a whopping 73 minutes of new material. Can Hemelbestormer continue their upward trend? We shall see. Continue reading “Hemelbestormer – Collide & Merge (Review)”

Plebeian Grandstand – Rien ne Suffit (Review)

This is the fourth album from Plebeian Grandstand, a French black metal/hardcore/experimental band.

It’s been a while since the vicious malignant dissonance of 2016’s False Highs, True Lows, so how have Plebeian Grandstand spent the time? Mutating and growing, it seems. Continue reading “Plebeian Grandstand – Rien ne Suffit (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)”