Fvnerals are a German doom band and this is their third album.
Bringing together doom, shoegaze, and dark ambient into a 40-minute cataclysmic declaration, Let the Earth Be Silent is the end times given aural form. Continue reading “Fvnerals – Let the Earth Be Silent (Review)”
Axioma are a post-black/sludge metal band from the US and this is their second album.
I first met Axioma back in 2016 on their debut EP Opia, which seems like an age ago. Well, since then they haven’t been idle, and their second album Sepsis came out earlier this year. Let’s dive in. Continue reading “Axioma – Sepsis (Review)”
So here we are again. It’s December, and year end lists are flying around like shrapnel. Due to the inherent subjectivity of music it’s always interesting to see what people have made of the preceding year.
For me, I made a concerted effort to drag myself away from the depths of black metal’s always-enticing abyss to spend some more time with other genres and styles that I also love. I said something similar last year, but I feel this year I was more successful in achieving that end. Of course, I still love black metal, still listen to it constantly, and you’ll still find some great examples of the blackened arts in the list below.
2022 was a strong year for death metal for me, and I enjoyed more death metal bands in a deeper way than I have done for some time. In every year there are standout releases, but I felt this year the standard was raised throughout. Possibly I was simply more receptive to it. Either way, you’ll find more death metal-related acts, and in higher spots, in this selection than you’ll have seen in my lists for a while.
As with last year, grindcore was largely absent from my year, disappointingly, as was hardcore. Additionally, the sort of lengthy, ugly, abyssal doom that I love so much has been largely lacking too. It’s all probably out there somewhere, but I didn’t catch it.
The top two spots this year are both claimed by albums/bands/styles that I simply could not have predicted would be at the pinnacle of my list by the year’s end, (one of the bands I hadn’t even heard of in January). I hope you enjoy these excellent records even half as much as I do.
Lastly I just want to say a big thank you to any and all that might read this site. It’s only a small endeavour, and I do it purely for the love of all things METAL and to support bands that I enjoy in whatever minor way I can, but if this is you, a heartfelt thank you for enduring my scribblings.
On to it! Continue reading “Wonderbox Metal End of Year List – Best Metal of 2022”
This is the debut album from French doom band Monastr.
Crushing together crust, post-metal, and sludge into 40 minutes of scathing doom, On Your Knees is a harrowing journey into the darkness of the real world’s horrors. There’s no escape here, only the harshness of reality. Continue reading “Monastr – On Your Knees (Review)”
Throwing Bricks are from the Netherlands and play post-metal/sludge. This is their second album.
The Burden contains 46 minutes of music that mixes together elements of sludge, hardcore, and black metal into a bleak post-metal cocktail. The band’s hybrid approach to their art is compelling, and The Burden offers fans of modern sludgy extremity a feast of scathing vocals and anguished riffs to explore. Continue reading “Throwing Bricks – The Burden (Review)”
This is the second album from Ggu:ll, a blackened doom band from the Netherlands.
Featuring ex-members of Dodecahedron, Ex Est contains 45 minutes of music that’s sharp, bleak, and harsh. With the promo blurb stating that Ex Est is for fans of Mizmor, Bell Witch, Lord Mantis, Bongripper, and Funeral Mist, I couldn’t help but be intrigued. Let’s dive in… Continue reading “Ggu:ll – Ex Est (Review)”
This is the second album from US post-metal band Earthrise.
Until We Rest Beneath the Winter Way is a 72-minute journey into ambitious, spacefaring post-metal territories. Taking in elements of progressive metal and rock, Earthrise craft heavy music with emotive atmosphere and engaging texture. Continue reading “Earthrise – Until We Rest Beneath the Winter Way (Review)”
Birds in Row are a French post-hardcore band and this is their third album.
Gris Klein is the 43-minute follow-up to 2018’s We Already Lost the World, and it has been more than worth the wait. Continue reading “Birds in Row – Gris Klein (Review)”
This is the second album from Everest Queen, a sludge metal band from the UK.
I’ve enjoyed following Everest Queen, from their initial self-titled EP in 2016 to their debut album Dead Eden in 2019, so to have a new album appear in the wild is a fine thing. Murmurations boasts 44 minutes of new music, so let’s get stuck in. Continue reading “Everest Queen – Murmurations (Review)”
This is the debut album from Danish post-metal band Offernat.
Offernat play a hybrid form of music that blends black, progressive, doom, and post-metal elements together into four mammoth songs. Continue reading “Offernat – All Colours Retract (Review)”
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