This is the fifth album from German doom metallers Obelyskkh.
Ahh, finally Obelyskkh have returned to dispense mammoth-sized doom to the masses. The Providence came out in 2017, which was an age ago, and 2013’s Hymn to Pan was even further back in the mists of time. So, what do Obelyskkh have to offer in 2023? Continue reading “Obelyskkh – The Ultimate Grace of God (Review)”
This is the debut album from German doom metal band Daevar.
With a promo blurb that states this is for fans of bands like Windhand, Monolord, Black Sabbath, Sleep, and Paradise Lost, Delirious Rites delivers 33 minutes of hypnotic gloom for the listener to get lost in. Continue reading “Daevar – Delirious Rites (Review)”
Dust Prophet are a US doom/stoner band from the US and this is their debut album.
One Last Look upon the Sky delivers 54 minutes of charismatic music. A sandy mix of stoner, doom, psychedelic, and progressive rock/metal, Dust Prophet provide the listener with a warm and gritty example of the style. Continue reading “Dust Prophet – One Last Look upon the Sky (Review)”
Tribunal are a Gothic doom metal band from Canada and this is their debut album.
The Weight of Remembrance offers a 48-minute Gothic doom metal journey into darkness and sombre atmospheres. The promo states that this is for fans of My Dying Bride, Candlemass, Type O Negative, Paradise Lost, Occultation, Dream Unending, and Pentagram, and this gives a Continue reading “Tribunal – The Weight of Remembrance (Review)”
This is the debut album from US doom metal band Anareta.
Fear Not contains 44 minutes of orchestral doom metal. Anareta aim to blend doom metal with classical music, and on Fear Not they manage this with aplomb. Continue reading “Anareta – Fear Not (Review)”
This is the second album from Рожь (otherwise known as Rye), a one-man post-black metal band from Russia.
Across 47 minutes Всё provides a compelling and utterly absorbing journey into dark feelings and blackened emotion. Honestly, this is not one to miss if you enjoy highly emotive blackened immersion. Continue reading “Рожь (Rye) – Всё (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)”
This is the fourth album from US industrial black/sludge metal band Invertia.
When I last caught up with Invertia it was on 2014’s Another Scheme of the Wicked, where they played industrial black metal, complete with remixes of the original tracks. Nine years or so later, the band’s music is darker and uglier, yet also laced with hooks and catchy riffs and beats. Continue reading “Invertia – Through the Black Bubble (Review)”
Axioma are a post-black/sludge metal band from the US and this is their second album.
I first met Axioma back in 2016 on their debut EP Opia, which seems like an age ago. Well, since then they haven’t been idle, and their second album Sepsis came out earlier this year. Let’s dive in. Continue reading “Axioma – Sepsis (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”
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