Draghkar – Wonderbox Metal

Drawn and Quartered – Lord of Two Horns (Review)

This is the ninth album by US death metallers Drawn and Quartered.

Drawn and Quartered are a very good death metal band, with a history of strong releases. They are the kind of band that can take similar components that are used so well by acts such as Immolation and Incantation, yet manage to fuse these into something that has a personality of its own. At this point in their career Drawn and Quartered have more than shown their talent and longevity in the death metal game, so Lord of Two Horns is an eagerly anticipated release. Continue reading “Drawn and Quartered – Lord of Two Horns (Review)”

Draghkar/Helcaraxë – A Glorious Call in the Terrible Darkness – Split (Review)

This is a split between Draghkar and Helcaraxë, both death metal bands from the US.

I missed this earlier in the year, but here it is now, and you’d better believe it’s worth your time to give it a few spins. I’m a big fan of Draghkar, so I couldn’t let this slide by without comment, (make sure you check out World Unraveled, split with Desekryptor, The Endless Howling Abyss, and At the Crossroads of Infinity). On this split with Helcaraxë both bands offer up one song. Continue reading “Draghkar/Helcaraxë – A Glorious Call in the Terrible Darkness – Split (Review)”

Acephalix – Theothanatology (Review)

Acephalix are a death metal band from the US and this is their fourth album.

Theothanatology, (which features a member of Draghkar/Vastum), is an album of blunt brutality, repeatedly slamming broken bits of gravestone into your head across 32 minutes of death metal barbarity. Continue reading “Acephalix – Theothanatology (Review)”

Wonderbox Metal End of Year List – Best Metal of 2020

Almost every year I think about how challenging it is to compile a definitive best of list, and how subjective it is, etc. Although that’s still true for this collecting of albums, this year, however, has been easier than most. 2020 has been heavy on the black metal for me. It’s been my most reviewed genre, in all its myriad permutations, and this is reflected in the below list.

For the longest of times the bands in positions 5 and 6 vied for top position, but then October and November happened. All of a sudden, unexpectedly, these two months unleashed a wealth of quality, and stole the top four positions in a rampant display of blackened supremacy.

I hope you enjoy the below recommendations of mine and find something new to obsess over. Let me know how you get on.

Let’s dig in… Continue reading “Wonderbox Metal End of Year List – Best Metal of 2020”

Monthly Overview – the Best of July 2020

July was packed with strong releases. With some quality highly anticipated albums seeing the light of day in July, (Defeated Sanity, Gaerea, Imperial Triumphant), I decided to focus on some of my favourites from last month that were less likely to get loads of media coverage, (and it was a struggle to limit the selection to five). So, with that in mind, my highlights are below. What are yours? Continue reading “Monthly Overview – the Best of July 2020”

Draghkar – At the Crossroads of Infinity (Review)

Draghkar are a US death metal band and this is their debut album.

I’m a big fan of Draghkar’s work, (here, here, here), and have really enjoyed watching the band develop over the years, from a one-man act, (see also Azath), to a fully-fledged band, (featuring the singer of Vastum, as well as musicians from other Continue reading “Draghkar – At the Crossroads of Infinity (Review)”

Monthly Overview – the Best of July 2018

In no particular order, I present to you once more with my monthly roundup – some of my favourite metal releases from July 2018. Enjoy! Continue reading “Monthly Overview – the Best of July 2018”

Interview with Draghkar

Ever since I first heard the band’s debut demo I’ve been a big fan of Draghkar. In a wide ocean of faceless death metal here is a band that stands out, and seem to be improving with every release. Draghkar’s latest is a full EP named The Endless Howling Abyss. Make sure you grab a copy when it’s released on July 27th, as it’s pretty damn killer.

Guitarist/vocalist BW was kind enough to give us a lot more information on the band and its history, so have a read of his thoughtful and comprehensive replies to my queries below… Continue reading “Interview with Draghkar”

Draghkar – The Endless Howling Abyss (Review)

Draghkar are a US death metal band and this is their latest EP.

I’ve very much enjoyed watching Draghkar’s development, from their debut demo World Unraveled to their split with Desekryptor from earlier in the year. The Endless Howling Abyss is their first EP, and our first larger taste of what their capabilities truly are. Continue reading “Draghkar – The Endless Howling Abyss (Review)”

Desekryptor/Draghkar – Split (Review)

Desekryptor and Draghkar are both old-school death metal bands from the US, and they have teamed up for this split.

Both bands offer up a single track to this release, with Desekryptor starting us off with The Ceremony of Cleaning Corpses. Continue reading “Desekryptor/Draghkar – Split (Review)”