Insomnium are a Finnish melodic death metal band and this is their ninth album.
I loved 2016’s Winter’s Gate, and 2021’s Argent Moon was pretty damn good to, so I knew that I wanted to check out what Anno 1696 had to offer. Across 50 minutes of material Insomnium once again treat us to a feast of metallic might. Continue reading “Insomnium – Anno 1696 (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)”
Arallu are black metal band from Israel and this is their eighth album.
A new Arallu album is always worth checking out. Over the years the band have amassed an enviable discography, (don’t miss Geniewar, Six, Desert Battles – Descending to the Sands, or En Olam), so it’s always a pleasure to encounter them once more. Continue reading “Arallu – Death Covenant (Review)”
This is the second album from Vermilia, a one-woman black metal band from Finland.
Sometimes you happen upon an album that instantly strikes you as something exceptional. Ruska is exactly one such album. It delivers a 37-minute album of pagan and folk black metal; this simple description does not even begin to do justice to Vermilia’s work though. Continue reading “Vermilia – Ruska (Review)”
This is the fifth album from UK one-man black metal band Saor.
Brought to us by the artist behind Fuath, (and also an ex-member of Falloch), Saor’s music is well-regarded, although this is my first encounter with it. My loss, it seems, as Origins offers up a very compelling 41 minutes of atmospheric black metal. Continue reading “Saor – Origins (Review)”
This is the fourteenth album from veteran Finnish metal band Amorphis.
Following on from 2018’s immense Queen of Time, Amorphis have returned to once again treat us with 56 minutes of splendid music.
Boasting big songs and bigger choruses, Amophis’ new album is Continue reading “Amorphis – Halo (Review)”
This is the fourth album from Wilderun, a progressive metal band from the US.
Wilderun play progressive metal with elements of death and symphonic metal, and touches of folk. This simple description does little to fully describe how good Wilderun are at weaving these various influences together on Epigone. Continue reading “Wilderun – Epigone (Review)”
Windfaerer are a black metal band from the US. This is their fourth album.
I enjoyed Windfaerer’s second album from 2105 Tenebrosum, but it’s taken me until now to catch up to the band again, so I missed its follow up. I was determined not to miss Breaths of Elder Dawns when I saw it appear though, and I’m very glad that I didn’t. Continue reading “Windfaerer – Breaths of Elder Dawns (Review)”
This is the second album from Dordeduh, a progressive metal band from Romania.
Featuring current/ex-members of Argus Megere/Negură Bunget, Har treats the listener to 62 minutes of blackened progressive metal. Continue reading “Dordeduh – Har (Review)”
This is the second album from Irish black metal band Corr Mhóna.
Abhainn is a 56-minute progressive black metal album that also contains a healthy amount of doom and folk influences. It’s ambitious and bold, but also very striking and well-realised. The band have clearly put a lot into this work, and it shows; Abhainn is Continue reading “Corr Mhóna – Abhainn (Review)”
Wonderbox Metal 