Vredehammer – God Slayer (Review)

Vredehammer - God SlayerThis is the fourth album from Norwegian black/death/thrash metal solo act Vredehammer.

It’s been a while since I’ve caught up with Vredehammer – 2016’s Violator in fact, a record which I enjoyed a great deal. God Slayer provides 39 minutes of satisfying extreme metal for the listener to enjoy. Now a solo act, (with the formidable ex-Dark Funeral/Nordjevel drummer as session musician), Vredehammer’s latest record hits the spot. Continue reading “Vredehammer – God Slayer (Review)”

Cognitive – Abhorrence (Review)

Cognitive - AbhorrenceThis is the fifth album from US death metallers Cognitive.

I always enjoy a new slab of Cognitive, (check out 2016’s Deformity, 2018’s Matricide, and 2021’s Malevolent Thoughts of a Hastened Extinction), so Abhorrence is well-received. Across 36 minutes Cognitive deliver the goods. Continue reading “Cognitive – Abhorrence (Review)”

Gatecreeper – Dark Superstition (Review)

Gatecreeper - Dark SuperstitionThis is the third album from US death metallers Gatecreeper.

Gatecreeper are always a reliable source of crushing old-school death metal carnage. Both 2016’s Sonoran Depravation and 2019’s Deserted were solid slabs of heaviness, (I also really enjoyed their 2018 split with Iron Reagan), so checking out the 37-minute Dark Superstition was mandatory. Continue reading “Gatecreeper – Dark Superstition (Review)”

Tzompantli – Beating the Drums of Ancestral Force (Review)

Tzompantli - Beating the Drums of Ancestral ForceThis is the second album from US death/doom band Tzompantli.

2022’s Tlazcaltiliztli was a record that I got a lot of enjoyment out of, so it’s great to see the return of Tzompantli once more. Beating the Drums of Ancestral Force contains 42 minutes of new material, and finds the band taking giant leaps forward in more than one way. Continue reading “Tzompantli – Beating the Drums of Ancestral Force (Review)”

Pathology – Unholy Descent (Review)

Pathology - Unholy DescentPathology are a death metal band from the US and this is their twelfth album.

2017’s Pathology, 2019’s Reborn to Kill, and 2021’s The Everlasting Plague all hit like trucks, with Pathology displaying an easy mastery of brutal death metal each time they erupted from the shadows to strike. This made me excited to experience the punishment that Unholy Descent had to offer. Continue reading “Pathology – Unholy Descent (Review)”

Primitive Warfare – Extinction Protocol (Review)

Primitive Warfare - Extinction ProtocolThis is the debut album from US black/death metallers Primitive Warfare.

Extinction Protocol brims with 31 minutes of violent war metal aggression. Primitive Warfare are here to force the horrors of war right into your face, through your skull, and out the other side. Continue reading “Primitive Warfare – Extinction Protocol (Review)”

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)”