Faithxtractor are a death metal band from the US and this is their fourth album.
With a duration of just 25 minutes, (29 including the Sepultura cover), Contempt for a Failed Dimension is a lean, mean slab of quality death metal. Continue reading “Faithxtractor – Contempt for a Failed Dimension (Review)”
This is the debut album from Australian death metal band Ashen.
Ritual of Ash is a 38-minute monster of a death metal album. Ashen spend their time on this record carving their way through the killing arenas of the style to appear triumphant and covered in blood by the end of it. The album snarls with Swedish death metal groove and roars with USDM intensity. A few other death metal styles can be heard here and there too, making for a collection of tracks that are easy to replay and enjoy. Continue reading “Ashen – Ritual of Ash (Review)”
This is the debut album from Greek black metallers Wothrosch.
To open this review I’m just going to lazily reference the promo blurb, which states that Odium is for for fans of Septicflesh, Anaal Nathrakh, Shining, Behemoth, and Fleshgod Apocalypse. It also states, “Imagine the soundscape experience of Septicflesh clashing into the furiosity of Anaal Nathrakh: that is what Wothrosch sounds like.”
So now you know. Continue reading “Wothrosch – Odium (Review)”
Obituary are a legendary death metal band from the US. This is their eleventh album.
Obituary are such a goooooooood band. Every album is just a really fun listen. I thoroughly enjoyed all of their recent releases, (Inked in Blood, Ten Thousand Ways to Die, Obituary), and new album Dying of Everything is no Continue reading “Obituary – Dying of Everything (Review)”
Kohnerah are a death metal band from the US and this is their debut album.
Here we have a 33-minute death metal album that doesn’t mess around. Packed with spiked riffs and slaughterous growls, Kohnerah have birthed a monster. Continue reading “Kohnerah – Ominous Ubiquitous (Review)”
Slog are a death/doom metal band from the US and this is their second album.
Divination contains 46 minutes of the foulest death/doom. Minor elements of funeral doom and black metal can be heard within the band’s eerie onslaught, all delivered within a doom-drenched death metal framework that drips with uneasy atmosphere. Continue reading “Slog – Divination (Review)”
Rudra are a black/thrash metal band from Singapore. This is their tenth album.
I last caught up with Rudra on 2016’s Enemy of Duality, so it’s good to be able to see what they’re up to six years later. Eight Mahavidyas is a 58-minute folk-influenced black/death metal album that is worth getting to know, and getting to know well. Continue reading “Rudra – Eight Mahavidyas (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”
Sacrilegion are a death metal band from the US and this is their debut album.
From Which Nightmares Crawl contains 44 minutes of potent death metal that’s sure to make some underground waves. Combining brutal heaviness with an expressive melodic prowess, Sacrilegion’s death metal is both satisfying and rewarding. Continue reading “Sacrilegion – From Which Nightmares Crawl (Review)”
Altars Ablaze are a blackened death metal band from Czechia and this is their debut album.
Holy crap, now this is the stuff! 31 minutes of blistering blackened death metal that takes no prisoners and is utterly merciless. Life Desecration is pure evil and sounds absolutely great. Featuring current and ex-members of Brutally Deceased and Heaving Earth, Altars Ablaze know what they’re doing with their extreme metal. Continue reading “Altars Ablaze – Life Desecration (Review)”
