Obscura – Page 2 – Wonderbox Metal

Apogean – Cyberstrictive (Review)

This is the debut album from US death metal band Apogean.

Cyberstrictive contains 44 minutes of modern technical death metal. As a lazy intro, I’m just going to quote the blrub on their Bandcamp page – “Apogean drew their inspiration from such groups as Soreption, The Faceless, Obscura, Necrophagist, The Black Dahlia Murder, Archspire, and The Zenith Passage. It’s a safe bet that fans of those bands will thoroughly enjoy what they have to offer.” Continue reading “Apogean – Cyberstrictive (Review)”

Job for a Cowboy – Moon Healer (Review)

This is the fifth album from US death metallers Job for a Cowboy.

Ten years on from 2014’s Sun Eater and Job for a Cowboy have finally returned. It’s been worth the wait, let me tell you.

On Moon Healer Job for a Cowboy travel further along Continue reading “Job for a Cowboy – Moon Healer (Review)”

Exocrine – Legend (Review)

This is the sixth album from French death metallers Exocrine.

A new Exocrine album is always a thing to be celebrated. 2018’s Molten Giant and 2020’s Maelstrom were both notable records, but then 2022’s The Hybrid Suns saw the band shift up a level once more. Now, hot on the heels of that last release, comes Legend, featuring 45 minutes of music, (40 without the bonus track). So what does Legend have to offer the discerning extreme metal fan in 2024? Continue reading “Exocrine – Legend (Review)”

Devils Reef – The Droste Observer (Review)

This is the second album from Devils Reef, a death metal band from the US.

Following on from 2021’s Chosen by the Sea, The Droste Observer is an evolved form of this death metal predator. Offering up a lean, mean 36 minutes of new material, Devils Reef demonstrate that they are worth being mentioned in the same breath as bands like Revocation, The Black Dahlia Murder, Obscura, Allegaeon, Black Crown Initiate, and the like. Continue reading “Devils Reef – The Droste Observer (Review)”

Beyond Grace – Welcome to the New Dark Ages, Part 1 (Review)

This is the latest EP from Beyond Grace, a death metal band from the UK.

I always enjoy catching up with Beyond Grace, and have watched their development closely over the years. From the early promise of 2014’s Monstrous, to the debut roar of 2017’s Seekers, to 2021’s crowning achievement so far Our Kingdom Undone, Beyond Grace’s upward trajectory has been a satisfying and rewarding one. Continue reading “Beyond Grace – Welcome to the New Dark Ages, Part 1 (Review)”

Alkaloid – Numen (Review)

Alkaloid are a German progressive death metal band and this is their third album.

Containing current and ex-members of bands such as Defeated Sanity, Hate Eternal, Howling Sycamore, Obscura, Obsidious, and many others, Numen is an album that benefits from a wealth of experience, and it shows in all aspects of this professionally crafted record. Continue reading “Alkaloid – Numen (Review)”

Pestifer – Defeat of the Nemesis (Review)

This is the latest EP from Belgian death metal band Pestifer.

Pestifer play a technical/progressive brand of death metal that’s roughly in the style of Obscura, Death, Pestilence, and Atheist, with a touch of Gorguts thrown in for good measure. Defeat of the Nemesis contains 24 minutes of material, and is an enjoyable introduction to what the band are capable of. Continue reading “Pestifer – Defeat of the Nemesis (Review)”

The Zenith Passage – Datalysium (Review)

The Zenith Passage are a death metal band from the US and this is their third album.

Well, it’s been a shockingly long time since the first album by The Zenith Passage – Solipsist was released in 2016, and a lot has happened since then. When it comes to the band themselves, they have now returned with an almost completely new lineup, which includes a bassist and singer who were both in The Faceless. So, across its 46 minutes of material, what does Datalysium have to offer us, and does it match up to the hype? Continue reading “The Zenith Passage – Datalysium (Review)”

Entheos – Time Will Take Us All (Review)

Entheos are a progressive death metal band from the US and this is their third album.

Entheos play a technical and progressive form of modern death metal. Time Will Take Us All offers 40 minutes of complexity and intricate delivery. This is then melded with the melodic strands of modern death metal as well as the Continue reading “Entheos – Time Will Take Us All (Review)”

Carnosus – Visions of Infinihility (Review)

Carnosus are a Swedish death metal band and this is their second album.

Carnosus play a technical form of death metal that’s riven with melodic highlights and fitted with thrash metal prosthetics. Across 35 head-spinning minutes Visions of Infinihility blends the old-school with the new to produce a ripping journey into idiosyncratic tech death. Continue reading “Carnosus – Visions of Infinihility (Review)”