The Haunted are a Swedish thrash metal band and this is their tenth album.
The first album from The Haunted since 2017’s Strength in Numbers is a big deal, at least around these parts. Containing 41 minutes of blistering high-octane thrash, The Haunted have returned, big style. Continue reading “The Haunted – Songs of Last Resort (Review)”
This is the fifth album from UK metallers Employed to Serve.
With every release Employed to Serve just seem to be getting better. This culminated in 2021’s Conquering, a record that made it onto my best of list of that year. Which is why expectation is high for the band’s latest 48-minute record Fallen Star. Continue reading “Employed to Serve – Fallen Star (Review)”
This is the seventh album from UK metal band Bleed from Within.
Despite being aware of Bleed from Within since they began – and I even saw them live I think many, many, many years ago in a support slot somewhere – I had never actually heard them properly before now. Zenith was a good opportunity to change this and see what I’ve been missing out on. Well, what do Bleed from Within have to offer? Continue reading “Bleed from Within – Zenith (Review)”
This is the second album from US extreme metal band Aversed.
2021’s Impermanent was an enjoyable album that mixed a few different metal styles together to deliver a satisfying result. Four years and a change of singer later, and Aversed are back with the 40-minute Erasure of Color. Continue reading “Aversed – Erasure of Color (Review)”
Obscura are a death metal band from Germany and this is their seventh album.
2018’s Diluvium was a feast of modern technicality, while 2021’s A Valediction offered a melodic refresh of the Obscura sound that so many had come to love. So what does A Sonication bring us in 2025? Continue reading “Obscura – A Sonication (Review)”
This is the second album from Swedish melodic death metal band The Halo Effect.
2022’s Days of the Lost was an album I really enjoyed, so it’s great to have a new album once more from The Halo Effect. In case you’re unaware, The Halo Effect are a band that features ex-members of In Flames, (and many other bands), along with the singer of Dark Tranquillity, (also from Grand Cadaver and Cemetery Skyline, and who was also in In Flames very early on). Yep, there’s a lot of talent involved in the March of the Unheard. Continue reading “The Halo Effect – March of the Unheard (Review)”
Yes, it’s list season once more, so gather round and witness some of the best metal that 2024 had to offer!
2024 was a fantastic year for metal, and that’s an understatement. I thought 2023 was one of the weaker years for metal releases, overall. As such, putting last year’s list together, although challenging as it always is, was relatively effortless compared to this one. I don’t think I’ve agonised over placings more any other year. In the end, similar to last year, I just decided that enough was enough and I needed to just stop needlessly obsessing. Continue reading “Wonderbox Metal End of Year List – Best Metal of 2024”
Another year, another Damnation Festival. As always, the organisers are to be commended for putting on one of the UK’s premier metal festivals. I’ve been coming here most years for almost two decades now, and I’ve never yet had a bad day.
There are three stages. Two smaller stages that clash with each other, and a main stage that clashes with nothing. Continue reading “Damnation Festival 2024 – BEC Arena, Manchester – 02/11/24 (Live Review)”
The Spirit are a German black/death metal band and this is their fourth album.
Songs Against Humanity contains 42 minutes of material that combines the melodic strains of both black and death metal. It’s essentially Scandinavian melodic black metal with elements of death metal that provide a technical edge in places. Continue reading “The Spirit – Songs Against Humanity (Review)”
Iotunn are a progressive metal band from Denmark, and this is their second album.
Now here’s one that’s been greatly anticipated. It’s an absolute travesty that Iotunn’s 2021 debut Access All Worlds didn’t end up on that year’s end of year list. How it didn’t I’ll never know, as it would easily have been in the top 5 or 10. Entirely my mistake, as it’s a fantastic record. All of which is to say that Kinship has a lot of expectation riding on it. Continue reading “Iotunn – Kinship (Review)”
Wonderbox Metal 