This is the debut EP from US doom band Guiltless.
What do we have here then? A new band featuring members of Intronaut, Generation of Vipers, A Storm of Light, IIVII, and Battle of Mice? How supremely enticing. Thorns contains 24 minutes of music, and showcases Guiltless’ brand of nihilistic darkness well. Continue reading “Guiltless – Thorns (Review)”
This is the debut album from Italian blackened doom metal band Ponte del Diavolo.
Okay, so here we have something quite interesting. When the promo blurb mentions both Electric Wizard and Darkthrone, you know it’s one to take an interest in. I will say that this doesn’t fully cover what you’ll find on Fire Blades from the Tomb though, so I’ll also mention here bands such as Messa, King Woman, Vanishing Kids, and Siouxsie and the Banshees, to give a broader impression. Continue reading “Ponte del Diavolo – Fire Blades from the Tomb (Review)”
This is the second album from US death/doom band Spectral Voice.
Featuring members of Black Curse and Blood Incantation, Spectral Voice play the sort of humungous death doom that crushes mountains and destroys villages. Sparagmos boasts 46 minutes of material that’s as distressing as it is rewarding. Continue reading “Spectral Voice – Sparagmos (Review)”
This is the debut album from German post-blackened doom metal band Cosmic Void.
Subterranean Rivers contains 61 minutes of material that brings together black, doom, and post-metal influences into a compelling whole. For a starting point for what you can expect to encounter on Subterranean Rivers, imagine a combination of bands such as Cult of Luna, Enslaved, Minsk, Mizmor, Ruins of Beverast, and Amenra. Continue reading “Cosmic Void – Subterranean Rivers (Review)”
Boarhammer are a German black metal band and this is their debut album.
II: Chemognosis – A Shortcut to Mushrooms contains 45 minutes, (with the bonus track), of old-school black metal. So old-school in fact, that it’s a blend of first and second wave influences, rather than the latter only. Boarhammer channel the spirits of Darkthrone, Venom, Celtic Frost, and Bathory, and they do so rather well. Continue reading “Boarhammer – II: Chemognosis – A Shortcut to Mushrooms (Review)”
This is a split between Lotus Thief and Forlesen. Both are US bands and both share members.
Lotus Thief open the split with In Perdition, a 12-minute song. I’m not familiar with the band, and I soon regret that immensely. Continue reading “Lotus Thief/Forlesen – Split (Review)”
Welcome to my annual attempt to make sense of the ridiculous amount of good metal albums out there, awaiting discovery by intrepid metal explorers.
2023’s best of list has been one of the more difficult ones to put together, placing-wise, which is one of the reasons that I’m posting it later than I usually do. Even more so than normal many of the slots are interchangeable, and I especially struggled with positions two-nine – if such a thing were possible, they all deserve to be higher! In the end I decided to stop overthinking it and go with my gut, but the usual caveat of these lists being very subjective and subject to change depending on mood, feelings, etc. is larger than normal here.
There are some notable acts missing form the below. Not because they’re not worthy of inclusion, but because there are only so many spaces to be had. In fact, I almost ended up limiting this list to 20, rather than the now-customary 30, as I found it really difficult to know who to include and who not to. In the end I went with the standard 30 so that I could promote a few extra bands, as they absolutely all deserve it.
As for the top position, I wasn’t expecting it to be filled by a band I’d never heard before, playing a style that I don’t listen to as much as I used to. However, I suppose after last year, I shouldn’t have been too surprised.
I do hope you enjoy this list and find some new music to obsess over. Like always, thanks for your support if you have ever visited this site before, and here’s to a great 2024 for as many of us as possible. Continue reading “Wonderbox Metal End of Year List – Best Metal of 2023”
This is the eighth album from Australian one-man black metal act Midnight Odyssey.
Here it is, the one we’ve all been waiting for – the third and final part of the Biolume trilogy. Emerging from the long, deep shadows of 2015’s Shards of Silver Fade, 2019’s Biolume Part 1 – In Tartarean Chains, and 2021’s Biolume Part 2 – The Golden Orb, how can Biolume Part 3: A Fullmoon Madness possibly compare? After all, all three of the aforementioned releases either made it into my end of year list in the top five, (here), or the coveted top spot, (here and here). How does this one one fare? Continue reading “Midnight Odyssey – Biolume Part 3 – A Fullmoon Madness (Review)”
This is the debut EP from international doom metal band Euchridian.
It’s taken me a while to get round to this one, but I’m glad I finally did. I knew I wanted to give it a go due to Euchridian featuring current and ex-members of Barshasketh and Of Spire & Throne, both bands worthy of your time. Continue reading “Euchridian – Philia (Review)”
It’s Damnation o-clock once more! This is always such a good festival to attend. The line up is an interesting and varied one, with some bands I’m less interested in, some that are an essential experience, and some frustrating clashes. I missed some great bands today, unfortunately, but that’s always going to be the case with such a jam-packed festival. Continue reading “Damnation Festival 2023 – BEC Arena, Manchester, 04/11/23 (Live Review)”
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