This is the debut album from Australian post-black metallers Oar.
Oar’s brand of post-black metal is expressive and dark. There is a sizeable doom influence, which is great to hear and works really well in the band’s blackened context. Elements of blackgaze and hardcore can also be heard, and these succeed in broadening the palette with which Oar paint their soundscapes. Continue reading “Oar – The Blood You Crave (Review)”
Yes, it’s that time of year again! 2021 gave us some very, very good metal, and I feel honoured to have been able to have listened to as much of it as I have done. There are some notable absences, (for me at least), from the below list, but there’s just not enough time or space for everything, dammit!
2020 was a very blackened year for me; I listened to a lot of black metal, and the list for that year reflected that. At the start of 2021 I decided I’d consciously try to ensure I cast my net a bit wider again, reconnecting more deeply with some of many other styles of metal that I enjoy. 2021’s list reflects this. However, I’ve still ended up with much more of a black metal presence in the list than I was initially expecting. What can I say? I’m a sucker for all of the myriad blackened flavours of the style. However, there’s also a lot of other stuff here that I hope you’ll dig into and enjoy too. I felt that there was a notable absence of grindcore in 2021, as well as some of the more extreme styles of doom. What do you think?
I hope you enjoy perusing some of my favourite records from this year, and I hope you find something new to tickle your fancy. What’s your number one this year? Continue reading “Wonderbox Metal End of Year List – Best Metal of 2021”
Genocide Pact are a death metal band from the US and this is their third album.
I really liked Genocide Pact’s filthy 2018 release Order of Torment, which was a very satisfying album. This new self-titled is even filthier, even more crushingly heavy, and even uglier than its predecessor. Continue reading “Genocide Pact – Genocide Pact (Review)”
Many fine records were released in November, too many to do justice to here. Instead I’ll just pick five of my favourites. The below albums are all quite different, but all striking in their own individual ways… Continue reading “Monthly Overview – the Best of November 2021”
This is the second album from US extreme metallers Cave Bastard.
2018’s The Bleak Shall Devour the Earth was a record I enjoyed, so I was keen to catch up with what the band were offering in 2021. Continue reading “Cave Bastard – Wrath of the Bastard (Review)”
This is the third album from US blackened post-hardcore band Glassing.
Following on from 2019’s Spotted Horse, Twin Dream delivers 48 minutes of new material, and essentially continues off from where Spotted Horse left off, only improves it in pretty much all respects. Continue reading “Glassing – Twin Dream (Review)”
There was a lot of very fine music that saw the light of day in September. It was a struggle to limit the below list to just a handful of releases, but I think you’ll find below a good selection of metal albums that should satisfy your musical itches… Continue reading “Monthly Overview – the Best of September 2021”
This is the latest EP from one-man UK post-black metal band Sepulchre by the Sea.
This is the follow up to 2020’s striking Conqueror Worm, which I really liked.
This EP provides us with 26 minutes of new material. The style is a mix of old and new, Continue reading “Sepulchre by the Sea – Ratiocinations (Review)”
This is the debut album from US metalcore band Dying Wish.
Now this is what I’m talking about. This is right down my alleyway. Here we have a 35-minute album that sounds like it has risen out of the ashes of 00s era NWOAHM. Yep, this is melodic death metal-infused hardcore mayhem the likes of which you don’t tend to hear very much of these days. Continue reading “Dying Wish – Fragments of a Bitter Memory (Review)”
This is the fifth album from US grindcore band Full of Hell.
Full of Hell have always impressed. Both 2017’s Trumpeting Ecstasy and 2019’s Weeping Choir did exactly that, and now they have returned with 21 minutes of new material. So, what dark delights does Garden of Burning Apparitions bring us? Continue reading “Full of Hell – Garden of Burning Apparitions (Review)”
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