This is the fourth album from US post-black metal band Ashbringer.
This is the follow up to 2019’s well-received Absolution, We Came Here to Grieve brings us 44 minutes of new music. On this new record Ashbringer continue to evolve their sound, pushing the envelope further, with a multifaceted mix of experimental black metal sounds. Although having said that, there’s less direct black metal on this album, for sure. Continue reading “Ashbringer – We Came Here to Grieve (Review)”
This is the second album from UK alternative/melodic metal band As Everything Unfolds.
Ultraviolet contains 36 minutes of modern metal that blends together elements of alternative rock, post-hardcore, metalcore, and nu-metal, into an enjoyable and charismatic record. Continue reading “As Everything Unfolds – Ultraviolet (Review)”
Lethvm are a post-metal band from Belgium, and this is their third album.
Recommended in the promo blurb as being for fans of Neurosis, early Cult of Luna, and LLNN, this is a good indicator of what you’ll find on Winterreise. I’d also say if you take LLNN, expand their apocalyptic sound with Cult of Luna’s textured influence, then Continue reading “Lethvm – Winterreise (Review)”
This is the fifth album by Polar, a UK Hardcore band.
Having really enjoyed 2016’s No Cure No Saviour and 2019’s Nova, I’m pleased by Polar’s return.
Everywhere, Everything takes Polar’s existing sound – heavy hardcore with melodic and emotive highlights – and broadens it further into post-hardcore waters. Of course, these are waters that Polar already wade in, but on this new collection of songs they venture deeper than ever before. As such, Continue reading “Polar – Everywhere, Everything (Review)”
Death Engine are a French post-hardcore band and this is their third album.
2015’s Mud and 2018’s Place Noir were both impressive, enjoyable, and individual records, displaying Death Engine’s multifaceted approach to heavy music. Now, across 36 minutes, Death Engine showcase a progression in their sound, one which threatens to bring about the end of days with its intensity and negative energies. Continue reading “Death Engine – Ocean (Review)”
Axioma are a post-black/sludge metal band from the US and this is their second album.
I first met Axioma back in 2016 on their debut EP Opia, which seems like an age ago. Well, since then they haven’t been idle, and their second album Sepsis came out earlier this year. Let’s dive in. Continue reading “Axioma – Sepsis (Review)”
So here we are again. It’s December, and year end lists are flying around like shrapnel. Due to the inherent subjectivity of music it’s always interesting to see what people have made of the preceding year.
For me, I made a concerted effort to drag myself away from the depths of black metal’s always-enticing abyss to spend some more time with other genres and styles that I also love. I said something similar last year, but I feel this year I was more successful in achieving that end. Of course, I still love black metal, still listen to it constantly, and you’ll still find some great examples of the blackened arts in the list below.
2022 was a strong year for death metal for me, and I enjoyed more death metal bands in a deeper way than I have done for some time. In every year there are standout releases, but I felt this year the standard was raised throughout. Possibly I was simply more receptive to it. Either way, you’ll find more death metal-related acts, and in higher spots, in this selection than you’ll have seen in my lists for a while.
As with last year, grindcore was largely absent from my year, disappointingly, as was hardcore. Additionally, the sort of lengthy, ugly, abyssal doom that I love so much has been largely lacking too. It’s all probably out there somewhere, but I didn’t catch it.
The top two spots this year are both claimed by albums/bands/styles that I simply could not have predicted would be at the pinnacle of my list by the year’s end, (one of the bands I hadn’t even heard of in January). I hope you enjoy these excellent records even half as much as I do.
Lastly I just want to say a big thank you to any and all that might read this site. It’s only a small endeavour, and I do it purely for the love of all things METAL and to support bands that I enjoy in whatever minor way I can, but if this is you, a heartfelt thank you for enduring my scribblings.
On to it! Continue reading “Wonderbox Metal End of Year List – Best Metal of 2022”
Birds in Row are a French post-hardcore band and this is their third album.
Gris Klein is the 43-minute follow-up to 2018’s We Already Lost the World, and it has been more than worth the wait. Continue reading “Birds in Row – Gris Klein (Review)”
Sunflo’er are a hardcore band from the US and this is their third album.
On All These Darlings and Now Me Sunflo’er combine mathcore and post-hardcore into a harsh-yet-catchy 27 minutes. Continue reading “Sunflo’er – All These Darlings and Now Me (Review)”
Vexes are a US alternative/post-metal band and this is their second album.
2018’s Ancient Geometry was a highlight of that year that I still regularly return to. Providing a slow-burning album that was full of emotive presence and luscious songcraft, it grew on me more and more over time. As such, I’m extremely pleased that Vexes have returned, but I have to say I wasn’t expecting them to bring a double album with them. Yes, Continue reading “Vexes – Imagine What We Could Destroy /// If Only Given Time (Review)”
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