Wonderbox Metal End of Year List – Best Metal of 2023

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”

Árstíðir Lífsins – Hermalausaz (Review)

Árstíðir Lífsins - HermalausazThis is the latest EP from Árstíðir Lífsins, an international, (Germany/Iceland), black metal band.

Following on from 2020’s epic Saga á tveim tungum II: Eigi fjǫll né firðir comes an equally epic EP. Despite containing only two songs, Hermalausaz is an album-length release at 43 minutes in duration, and packs a lot of content into its extended running time. Continue reading “Árstíðir Lífsins – Hermalausaz (Review)”

Bury Them and Keep Quiet/Lust Hag – Split (Review)

Bury Them and Keep Quiet Lust Hag - SplitThis is a split between two solo US black metal acts – Bury Them and Keep Quiet and Lust Hag.

Bury Them and Keep Quiet start us off with two tracks, with a total duration of 14 minutes. Continue reading “Bury Them and Keep Quiet/Lust Hag – Split (Review)”

Underdark – Managed Decline (Review)

Underdark - Managed DeclineUnderdark are a post-black metal band from the UK and this is their second album.

Following on from 2021’s Our Bodies Burned Bright on Re-Entry, Underdark have now returned with the 41-minute Managed Decline. Continue reading “Underdark – Managed Decline (Review)”

Amalekim – Avodah Zarah (Review)

Amalekim - Avodah ZarahThis is the second album from international black metal band Amalekim.

Avodah Zarah offers up 46 minutes of melodic black metal for listeners to enjoy, and enjoy we do. Amalekim’s music is gripping stuff. Continue reading “Amalekim – Avodah Zarah (Review)”

Pénitence Onirique – Nature Morte (Review)

Pénitence Onirique - Nature MorteThis is the third album from French black metallers Pénitence Onirique.

Following on from 2016’s V.I.T.R.I.O.L. and 2019’s Vestige comes Nature Morte; 46 minutes of glorious celestial violence and deep immersive feeling. Oh my, this is a good one. Continue reading “Pénitence Onirique – Nature Morte (Review)”

Mānbryne – Interregnum: O Pr​ó​bie Wiary i Jarzmie Zw​ą​tpienia (Review)

Mānbryne - Interregnum O Pr​ó​bie Wiary i Jarzmie Zw​ą​tpieniaThis is the second album from Polish black metallers Mānbryne.

I enjoyed 2021’s Heilsweg: O Udręce Ciała I Tułaczce Duszy, so was eager to check out its follow up. Interregnum: O Pr​ó​bie Wiary i Jarzmie Zw​ą​tpienia contains 40 minutes of new material. Back with a new drummer, (also in Blaze of Perdition), Mānbryne sound better than ever. Continue reading “Mānbryne – Interregnum: O Pr​ó​bie Wiary i Jarzmie Zw​ą​tpienia (Review)”

Woe – Legacies of Frailty (Review)

Woe - Legacies of FrailtyThis is the fifth album from US black metal one-man band Woe.

Legacies of Frailty is the eagerly awaited follow up to 2017’s Hope Attrition. The Woe of 2023 is aggressive and dark, offering blistering speed and textured power. Across 48 minutes the now-solo act delivers a record that scars the cosmos with its scorching brand of emotive black metal. Continue reading “Woe – Legacies of Frailty (Review)”

Valravn – The Awakening (Review)

Valravn - The AwakeningValravn are a Finnish black metal band and this is their second album.

Featuring a current/ex-member of Altar of Betelgeuze/Cardinals Folly, The Awakening contains 44 minutes of expressive black metal. Continue reading “Valravn – The Awakening (Review)”