Encelado – Pillars of Creation (Review)

Encelado - Pillars of CreationThis is the debut release from Italian death metallers Encelado.

Pillars of Creation contains four tracks, with a duration of 14 minutes. To get you in the right mood for Encelado, the promo blurb mentions bands such as Aborted, All Shall Perish, and Dying Fetus for the music, and Cannibal Corpse and Suffocation for the vocals. Continue reading “Encelado – Pillars of Creation (Review)”

Better Lovers/Frontierer/Greyhaven – Academy 3, Manchester – 19/01/25 (Live Review)

Better Lovers Frontierer Greyhaven - Academy 3, Manchester - 19.01.25

Now this is a lineup. All three bands I’d go and see in their own right, let alone all touring together. Tonight I feel like I’m in for a real treat. Morale is high as I enter the Academy 3, and it’s about to get a whole lot of busy. Continue reading “Better Lovers/Frontierer/Greyhaven – Academy 3, Manchester – 19/01/25 (Live Review)”

Orgone – Pleroma (Review)

Orgone - PleromaThis is the third album from US progressive extreme metal band Orgone.

Pleroma is a 65-minute multifaceted beast of a record that, loosely, can be described as progressive/technical death metal. Orgone flesh out their death metal base with technical expertise and progressive depth. Around this though they breach a range of other musical territories, including folk, jazz, classical, and progressive rock. Continue reading “Orgone – Pleroma (Review)”

Sulaco – Black Cloud (Review)

Sulaco - Black CloudThis is the latest EP from US deathgrinders Sulaco.

I’ve enjoyed following Sulaco over the years – 2011’s Build & Burn, 2018’s The Prize, and 2020’s The Privilege – so Black Cloud is most welcome here at Wonderbox Metal. Containing two songs, and with a duration of 8 minutes, there may not be much material here, but this is about quality, not quantity. Continue reading “Sulaco – Black Cloud (Review)”

Ὁπλίτης (Hoplites) – Παραμαινομένη (Review)

Ὁπλίτης (Hoplites) - ΠαραμαινομένηThis is the fourth album from Ὁπλίτης, (otherwise known as Hoplites), a solo post-black metal band from China.

So, it was January 2023, and out of nowhere Ὁπλίτης appeared into my life with the devastating Ψευδομένη; a uniquely brutal record that introduced me to the atypical blackened world of this enigmatic entity. This, rather unexpectedly, was quickly followed up by the equally destructive Τρωθησομένη and then Ἀντιτιμωρουμένη. This punishing rate of releases Continue reading “Ὁπλίτης (Hoplites) – Παραμαινομένη (Review)”

Walking Corpse – Our Hands, Your Throat (Review)

Walking Corpse - Our Hands, Your ThroatThis is the second album from Swedish grindcore band Walking Corpse.

A grindcore band named, (presumably at least), after a Brutal Truth song? Count me in. I instantly knew I had to check this out. Good grind is hard to come by, so I crossed by fingers and dived right in. What did I find? Continue reading “Walking Corpse – Our Hands, Your Throat (Review)”

Neurectomy – Overwrought (Review)

Neurectomy - OverwroughtThis is the debut album from US death metal band Neurectomy.

Overwrought contains 32 minutes of technical death metal and Neurectomy boasts the drummer of Origin in their ranks. Strap in safely, because Neurectomy are about to take you on a ferocious ride. Continue reading “Neurectomy – Overwrought (Review)”

Closet Witch – Chiaroscuro (Review)

Closet Witch - ChiaroscuroCloset Witch are a grindcore band from the US and this is their second album.

Sometimes, you just need to GRIIIIIINNNND. But not just any kind of grind; no, sometimes you need to grind and burn with the sort of visceral, idiosyncratic grind that leaves scars. For times like that, you have a band like Closet Witch. Continue reading “Closet Witch – Chiaroscuro (Review)”

Gendo Ikari – Rokubungi (Review)

Gendo Ikari - RokubungiThis is the debut album from Scottish grindcore band Gendo Ikari.

Featuring a member of Ashenspire, Gendo Ikari play scathing grindcore that should appeal to fans of bands such as Discordance Axis, Agoraphobic Nosebleed, Antigama, and Pig Destroyer. It’s fast, it’s nasty, and in 25 minutes it will leave you a bloody puddle on the floor. Continue reading “Gendo Ikari – Rokubungi (Review)”

The Gorge – Mechanical Fiction (Review)

The Gorge - Mechanical FictionThis is the third album from US progressive metallers The Gorge.

Mechanical Fiction contains 45 minutes of modern, heavy music. The Gorge are an interesting band, in that they are ostensibly a band you’d give the tags of  progressive metal and technical metal too, but they also incorporate avant-garde and jazz elements into their style, as well as having an underpinning hardcore/sludge influence that’s formative. Continue reading “The Gorge – Mechanical Fiction (Review)”