Dark Rock – Wonderbox Metal

Avatarium – Between You, God, the Devil and the Dead (Review)

Avatarium are a doom rock band from Sweden and this is their sixth album.

From 2017’s Hurricanes and Halos, to 2019’s The Fire I Long For, to 2022’s Death, Where Is Your Sting, I have thoroughly enjoyed witnessing Avatarium get better and better at their chosen craft. Now we have a new opus – Between You, God, the Devil and the Dead – which gives us a 43-minute opportunity to once again explore Avatarium’s absorbing and entertaining worldbuilding. Continue reading “Avatarium – Between You, God, the Devil and the Dead (Review)”

Wonderbox Metal End of Year List – Best Metal of 2024

Yes, it’s list season once more, so gather round and witness some of the best metal that 2024 had to offer!

2024 was a fantastic year for metal, and that’s an understatement. I thought 2023 was one of the weaker years for metal releases, overall. As such, putting last year’s list together, although challenging as it always is, was relatively effortless compared to this one. I don’t think I’ve agonised over placings more any other year. In the end, similar to last year, I just decided that enough was enough and I needed to just stop needlessly obsessing. Continue reading “Wonderbox Metal End of Year List – Best Metal of 2024”

Damnation Festival 2024 – BEC Arena, Manchester – 02/11/24 (Live Review)

Another year, another Damnation Festival. As always, the organisers are to be commended for putting on one of the UK’s premier metal festivals. I’ve been coming here most years for almost two decades now, and I’ve never yet had a bad day.

There are three stages. Two smaller stages that clash with each other, and a main stage that clashes with nothing. Continue reading “Damnation Festival 2024 – BEC Arena, Manchester – 02/11/24 (Live Review)”

Cemetery Skyline – Nordic Gothic (Review)

This is the debut album from dark rock band Cemetery Skyline.

Boasting current/ex-members of bands such as Amorphis, Grand Cadaver, Dark Tranquillity, Entombed A.D., The Halo Effect, Insomnium, Malpractice, Sentenced, and Witchery, a lot of experience and skill has gone into the making of Nordic Gothic. Cemetery Skyline use their experience well, forging a 49-minute album the combines dark and melodic rock with Gothic flair. Continue reading “Cemetery Skyline – Nordic Gothic (Review)”

Lethe – Alienation (Review)

This is the third album from Lethe, a dark rock band from Switzerland/Norway.

Well, I wasn’t expecting a new album from Lethe, I must admit. 2014’s When Dreams Become Nightmares was an amazing album, one which I’ve only enjoyed more and more over the last decade (!) since it was released. Nonetheless, we are now gifted with Alienation, which brings us 45 minutes of material. Continue reading “Lethe – Alienation (Review)”

Dool – The Shape of Fluidity (Review)

This is the third album from Dutch dark rock band Dool.

The Shape of Fluidity contains 50 minutes of dark rock music with both a metallic and a Gothic edge, as well as containing elements of doom, post-rock and post-punk. Dool’s music flows together seamlessly, making for an individualistic blend that is extremely enjoyable and moreish. Continue reading “Dool – The Shape of Fluidity (Review)”

Host – IX (Review)

This is the debut album from UK dark/Gothic rock band Host.

Brought to us by the singer and guitarist of Paradise Lost, IX contains 42 minutes of electronically enhanced dark/Gothic rock. Imagine, if you will, a cross between Paradise Lost’s Host album, (and parts of the other albums surrounding this one), and the 80s Goth and New Wave scenes, and Continue reading “Host – IX (Review)”

Avatarium – Death, Where Is Your Sting (Review)

This is the fifth album from Swedish dark rock band Avatarium.

Both 2017’s Hurricanes and Halos and 2019’s The Fire I Long For were very enjoyable records, showing good progression from one to the next that simply saw the band improving and diversifying. So what next for Avatarium? Continue reading “Avatarium – Death, Where Is Your Sting (Review)”

Behind Your Fear – Anthropocene (Review)

This is the debut album from Behind Your Fear, a Gothic/melodic metal band from Germany.

Featuring current and ex-members of bands such as Crimson Moon and Flowing Tears, Anthropocene provides us with 47 minutes of quality tunes. It succeeds in taking cues from the past to deliver a satisfying interpretation of an older style. Continue reading “Behind Your Fear – Anthropocene (Review)”

Mercury Circle – Killing Moons (Review)

This is the debut album from Finnish dark doom rockers Mercury Circle.

Featuring current and ex-members of Swallow the Sun and Children of Bodom, Killing Moons contains 63 minutes of infectiously dark music. The overall style is one of doom-infused, moody, synth-enriched dark rock. Continue reading “Mercury Circle – Killing Moons (Review)”