Downcross are a black metal band from Belarus and this is their sixth album.
White Tower contains 43 minutes of melodic black metal. It’s sharp and well-performed, and Downcross showcase what they’re capable of with attitude and force. Continue reading “Downcross – White Tower (Review)”
This is the third album from Ukrainian black metal band Sidus Atrum.
2022’s Spiral of Life made a strong impression on me, and I really enjoyed it. This makes Розірване Небо (Torn Sky) one I’ve definitely been looking forward to. On Torn Sky Sidus Atrum have expanded to a duo, bringing us 37 minutes of new music. Continue reading “Sidus Atrum – Розірване Небо (Torn Sky) (Review)”
This is the sixth album from German solo black metal band Infestus.
Has it really been ten years since 2014’s The Reflecting Void? I really liked that record. With only one album since then – 2018’s Thrypsis, which I somehow missed – I’ve been looking forward to exploring the 46-minute Entzweiung. Continue reading “Infestus – Entzweiung (Review)”
This is the second album from US death metal band Veriteras.
Veriteras play melodic black/death metal inspired by the old-school Scandinavian scene of the 90s. The Dark Horizon is a 31-minute homage to this era, and boy does it get a lot right. Continue reading “Veriteras – The Dark Horizon (Review)”
This is the third album from US death metal band Witch Vomit.
Witch Vomit are such an enjoyable band, and I really liked the filthy, gruesome old-school rot of A Scream from the Tomb Below, Poisoned Blood, and Buried Deep in a Bottomless Grave. But wait, change is afoot in the Witch Vomit camp. What does that mean for the 31 minutes of Funeral Sanctum? Continue reading “Witch Vomit – Funeral Sanctum (Review)”
This is the second album from Vorga, a German black metal band.
With 2022’s Striving Toward Oblivion Vorga made a notable impact in the world of melodic black metal. Now they’re back with Beyond the Palest Star, which delivers another sci-fi trip through 43 minutes of sharp melodic aggression. Continue reading “Vorga – Beyond the Palest Star (Review)”
This is the third album from French black metallers Griffon.
I enjoyed 2020’s ὸ θεός ὸ βασιλεύς, so knew I wanted to check out De Republica when it appeared. Across 37 minutes Griffon once again demonstrate their mastery of historically themed black metal. Continue reading “Griffon – De Republica (Review)”
Welcome to my annual attempt to make sense of the ridiculous amount of good metal albums out there, awaiting discovery by intrepid metal explorers.
2023’s best of list has been one of the more difficult ones to put together, placing-wise, which is one of the reasons that I’m posting it later than I usually do. Even more so than normal many of the slots are interchangeable, and I especially struggled with positions two-nine – if such a thing were possible, they all deserve to be higher! In the end I decided to stop overthinking it and go with my gut, but the usual caveat of these lists being very subjective and subject to change depending on mood, feelings, etc. is larger than normal here.
There are some notable acts missing form the below. Not because they’re not worthy of inclusion, but because there are only so many spaces to be had. In fact, I almost ended up limiting this list to 20, rather than the now-customary 30, as I found it really difficult to know who to include and who not to. In the end I went with the standard 30 so that I could promote a few extra bands, as they absolutely all deserve it.
As for the top position, I wasn’t expecting it to be filled by a band I’d never heard before, playing a style that I don’t listen to as much as I used to. However, I suppose after last year, I shouldn’t have been too surprised.
I do hope you enjoy this list and find some new music to obsess over. Like always, thanks for your support if you have ever visited this site before, and here’s to a great 2024 for as many of us as possible. Continue reading “Wonderbox Metal End of Year List – Best Metal of 2023”
This is the fourth album from Israeli melodic/progressive black Metallers Winterhorde.
Following on from 2016’s Maestro, Neptunian contains 54 minutes of new material from Winterhorde. Back with a new lineup, the band have crafted a record that is an impressive proposition. Continue reading “Winterhorde – Neptunian (Review)”
This is the fourth album from US black metallers Valdrin.
It’s been a long time since 2014’s Beyond the Forest, and Valdrin have had two other full albums since then. Throne of the Lunar Soul is their latest, and boasts an imposing 73 minutes of material. What does the Valdrin of 2023 have to offer the discerning black metal fan? Continue reading “Valdrin – Throne of the Lunar Soul (Review)”
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