Devourer – The Wicked Ones (Review)

Devourer - The Wicked OnesDevourer are a black/death metal band from Sweden and this is their fifth album.

Devourer immediately struck a chord with me on their 2017 album Across the Empty Plains. Since then, they have also produced 2019’s Dawn of Extinction and 2022’s Raptus, both quality records that continued to showcase Devourer as a force to be reckoned with. The band are now back with The Wicked Ones, and sound more focused than ever. Continue reading “Devourer – The Wicked Ones (Review)”

Sulaco – Black Cloud (Review)

Sulaco - Black CloudThis is the latest EP from US deathgrinders Sulaco.

I’ve enjoyed following Sulaco over the years – 2011’s Build & Burn, 2018’s The Prize, and 2020’s The Privilege – so Black Cloud is most welcome here at Wonderbox Metal. Containing two songs, and with a duration of 8 minutes, there may not be much material here, but this is about quality, not quantity. Continue reading “Sulaco – Black Cloud (Review)”

Unearthly Rites – Ecdysis (Review)

Unearthly Rites - EcdysisUnearthly Rites are a Finnish death metal band and this is their debut album.

Here’s some nasty death metal for you to clog up your pores. Ecdysis is a sludge factory of old-school death metal that really brings out the filth in the style. Across 34 minutes Unearthly Rites spread their disease with convincing menace and a swamp’s worth of heaviness. Continue reading “Unearthly Rites – Ecdysis (Review)”

Terminal Nation – Echoes of the Devil’s Den (Review)

Terminal Nation - Echoes of the Devil's DenTerminal Nation are a death metal band from the US and this is their second album.

Terminal Nation play hardcore-infused death metal, delivering 40 minutes of the stuff over 12 songs on this record. The promo blurb tells us that Echoes of the Devil’s Den is for fans of All Out War, Bolt Thrower, Earth Crisis, Maul, Xibalba, Kruelty, Fuming Mouth, and Gatecreeper, so this should give you a good idea of where Terminal Nation are coming from. Continue reading “Terminal Nation – Echoes of the Devil’s Den (Review)”

Crawl – Altar of Disgust (Review)

Crawl - Altar of DisgustCrawl are a death metal band from Sweden and this is their second album.

I thoroughly enjoyed 2018’s Rituals, so was pleased when Crawl’s split with Feral appeared last year. They’re now back again with Altar of Disgust, which delivers 31 minutes of crust-driven Swedeath heaviness. Continue reading “Crawl – Altar of Disgust (Review)”

Ancst – Culture of Brutality (Review)

Ancst - Culture of BrutalityThis is the fourth album from Ancst, a shapeshifting German metal band.

You’re never quite sure what you’re going to get from Ancst. Black metal, crust, hardcore, death metal, dark ambient – these are just genres to play with for the band, using and discarding styles and influences at will, depending on the needs of any given release or song. Which brings us to Culture of Brutality, a 35-minute, 20-track album that fuses deathgrind, metalcore, and hardcore into a monster of brutal heaviness. Continue reading “Ancst – Culture of Brutality (Review)”

Cryfemal – La Gran Victoria del Mal (Review)

Cryfemal - La Gran Victoria Del MalCryfemal are a Spanish black metal band and this is their ninth album.

We’re going back to 2023 for this one. Why? Well, simply because while I’ve been aware of Cryfemal for some time, I’ve never heard them, so when I recently received the promo for this, I really wanted to check it out. So I did, and it made a big impression. Continue reading “Cryfemal – La Gran Victoria del Mal (Review)”

Exhumation – Master’s Personae (Review)

Exhumation - Master's PersonaeThis is the fourth album from Exhumation, an Indonesian death metal band.

Wow, it’s been a long time since I encountered Exhumation. Ten years ago in fact, on their debut album Hymn to Your God, which I enjoyed very much. Well, catching up with the band is long overdue, so let’s take a look at the 38 minutes of death metal on Master’s Personae and see what they’re up to. Continue reading “Exhumation – Master’s Personae (Review)”

Coffin Curse – The Continuous Nothing (Review)

Coffin Curse - The Continuous NothingCoffin Curse are a death metal band from Chile and this is their second album.

The Continuous Nothing is the 43-minute follow up to 2020’s Ceased to Be, and builds upon that album’s solid foundations. Coffin Curse are easy to enjoy if you are a fan of 90s-influenced death metal. Continue reading “Coffin Curse – The Continuous Nothing (Review)”