Necrot are a death metal band from the US and this is their third album.
2020’s Mortal was an enjoyable slab of old-school death metal carnage, and now Necrot are back to reap more limbs with the 40-minute Lifeless Birth. It’s a step up a level for Necrot, one you must listen to if you’re a fan of bands such as Gatecreeper, Bolt Thrower, Undeath, Incantation, Blood Red Throne, Autopsy, Grave, Tomb Mold, Outer Heaven, Genocide Pact, etc. Continue reading “Necrot – Lifeless Birth (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”
Celestial Sanctuary are a death metal band from the UK and this is their second album.
Featuring the current/ex-drummer of The Infernal Sea/Man Must Die in their ranks, Celestial Sanctuary play old-school death metal with lethal skill. Across 40 minutes Insatiable Thirst for Torment showcases the band’s considerable talents, and there’s a lot of them, because this album is on fire. Continue reading “Celestial Sanctuary – Insatiable Thirst for Torment (Review)”
This is the second album from US death metallers Outer Heaven.
I thoroughly enjoyed 2018’s Realms of Decay, and I can’t quite believe that it came out so long ago. Regardless, Outer Heaven are now back, and they have brought 46 minutes of shockingly good death metal with them. Continue reading “Outer Heaven – Infinite Psychic Depths (Review)”
This is the second album from Canadian/US death/doom metallers Dream Unending.
Song of Salvation contains 44 minutes of atmospheric death/doom metal. The band features two members, who are in bands such as Outer Heaven, Sumerlands, Tomb Mold, and Vestal Claret, and between them they create an immersive tapestry of slow, mood-focused doom that’s as compelling and well-realised as it is enjoyable. Continue reading “Dream Unending – Song of Salvation (Review)”
This is the debut album from US death metallers Phobophilic.
Phobophilic combine the esoteric approach of Demilich, with the malevolent nature of Morbid Angel, and the crushing heaviness of Incantation. Fans of the output of bands such as Tomb Mold, Immolation, Worm, Ossuarium, Outer Heaven, and Blood Incantation need to pay attention to this. Continue reading “Phobophilic – Enveloping Absurdity (Review)”
This is the debut album from US death metal band Maul.
Across 38 minutes Seraphic Punishment torments us with nasty death metal that will not only leave a bad taste in your mouth, but a rusty meat cleaver too. Savage and brutal, the band’s music offers a crushing display of murderous death metal carnage. The style mixes the classic Swedish style with equally classic USDM, to create a hybrid of the two that lacks the strengths of neither. Continue reading “Maul – Seraphic Punishment (Review)”
So what do we have for you this month? What new batch of metal delights has been unleashed upon the world in October? Let’s find out… Continue reading “Monthly Overview – the Best of October 2018”
This is the debut album from US death metallers Outer Heaven.
Here we have 33 minutes of old-school death metal, replete with beefy riffs, crushing groove, monstrous growls, and intense aggression. Continue reading “Outer Heaven – Realms of Eternal Decay (Review)”
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