Bleeding Gods are from the Netherlands and this is their second album. They play symphonic blackened death metal.
With a suitably epic album concept based around the twelve labours of Hercules, this is epic blackened death metal replete with some thrash metal elements and a strong symphonic backbone. Continue reading “Bleeding Gods – Dodekathlon (Review)”
Alastor are a Portugese blackened thrash metal band and this is their sixth album.
Here Alastor give us 48 minutes of furious blackthrash, and they do it surprisingly well. I say ‘surprisingly’ only because I find this kind of subgenre quite disappointing most of the time, but must confess that when it’s done right, I really take to it. Continue reading “Alastor – The Dark Tower (Review)”
Neige Morte are a French post-black metal band and this is their third album.
2014’s Bicephaale stood out with its unusual delivery and incorporation of non-black metal sub-genres. As such, when TRINNNT was unleashed, I knew I had to expose myself to the ravages of the band’s virulent plagues once more. Continue reading “Neige Morte – TRINNNT (Review)”
Nortt is a one-man black/doom metal band from Denmark and this is his fourth album.
Here we have 40 minutes of black metal that’s been bent to the will of funeral doom and dark ambience. This is music to listen to in a lightless environment, preferably while staring up at the stars and contemplating how insignificant you are. Continue reading “Nortt – Endeligt (Review)”
This is the sixth album from Swedish black metallers Watain.
Trident Wolf Eclipse sees a stripped back Watain, with only the most lethal and virulent parts exposed to the world. This album finds the band lean, raw, and hungry for blood. Continue reading “Watain – Trident Wolf Eclipse (Review)”
There is a wealth of top quality extreme metal located in France, and Les Acteurs de L’Ombre Productions is one of my favourite French labels that’s primarily dedicated to uncovering it. I’ve watched them develop and flourish over the years, producing some first-rate albums that I regularly listen to and enjoy. To my mind, if it’s being put out by Les Acteurs de L’Ombre Productions, then it’s almost certainly going to be worth listening to.
The label has almost been around for ten years at this point, so it seemed like a fitting time to get to know a bit more about the label that has been responsible for unleashing so much quality underground music on the world.
Below are some words from the label manager Gerald Milani. So sit back, have a listen to the label’s sampler, and learn a bit about Les Acteurs de L’Ombre Productions…
Continue reading “Record Label Interview – Gerald Milani of Les Acteurs de L’Ombre Productions”
Venom are a legendary metal band from the UK, and this is a compilation box set containing six out of print EPs that were released between 1985-1987 – Canadian Assault, American Assault, French Assault, Japanese Assault, German Assault, and Scandinavian Assault.
The songs in this collection have Continue reading “Venom – ‘Assault!’ Box Set (Review)”
Extravaganza are a Lithuanian post-black metal band and this is their debut album.
Extravaganza offer up 70 minutes of post-black metal on their debut album, weaving depressive and atmospheric elements into their music. Continue reading “Extravaganza – Priepuoliai (Review)”
This is the latest EP from US doom band Enhailer.
Containing just one 18-minute track this EP straddles genres and styles, but ultimately falls under the doom heading most of all. Continue reading “Enhailer – Dumb Enough to Care (Review)”
2017 was an amazing year for music, with so many top-notch albums seeing the light of day. I pretty much say this every year, of course, but that doesn’t seem to stop it being true. With this in mind, the 2017 list was especially hard to put together, and I agonised over this one more than I did for any of the lists in previous years.
As is traditional, I also want to mention some releases by bands that could easily have made it onto the list, and should have by many rights, if only I could have somehow managed to fit them all in –
Abhorrent Decimation, Amenra, Apes, Artificial Brain, Au-Dessus,
Celeste, Desecrate the Faith, Earth Rot, Earth Witch, Falls of Rauros,
Full of Hell, Gnaw, Gutslit, Helpless, Henry Kane,
Hundred Suns, Ingurgitating Oblivion, Into Orbit, John Frum, Karne,
Kval, Livid, Morbid Angel, Primitive Man, Craven Idol,
Slow, Soulskinner, The Kennedy Veil, Ulsect, Wildspeaker.
I urge you to check out all of the above releases, in addition to the ones in the actual list below. I could probably keep adding more bands you should give a listen to, but a line has to be drawn somewhere, I suppose.
So, without further ado, let’s get right down to it… Continue reading “Wonderbox Metal End of Year List – Best Metal of 2017”
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