Similar to January, February was a surprisingly strong month for metal albums. There were many highlights, and limiting my recommendations to just the below five as not easy. Have a look at the albums below… Continue reading “Monthly Overview – the Best of February 2022”
Tag: Post-Metal
Sylvaine – Nova (Review)
This is the fourth album from Norwegian blackgaze/post-metal one-woman act Sylvaine.
Nova is a highly atmospheric journey. If you’re a fan of the shoegaze/blackgaze genres, then this is for you. The promo blurb states that this is for fans of bands such as Alcest, Deafheaven, Harakiri for the Sky, and Emma Ruth Rundle, and it’s hard to argue with that. Continue reading “Sylvaine – Nova (Review)”
Abraham – Débris de Mondes Perdus (Review)
This is the fourth album from Swiss post-hardcore/metal band Abraham.
Abraham craft eight post-hardcore/metal soundscapes with layered compositions and multifaceted songwriting. The obvious starting point for comparisons would be a band like Neurosis, but with added elements of bands like Knut, Deadguy, and Botch. Continue reading “Abraham – Débris de Mondes Perdus (Review)”
KYOTY – Isolation (Review)
KYOTY are an post-metal/sludge band from the US and this is their second album.
KYOTY, (or Keep Your Opinions to Yourself), are an instrumental act that have an atmospheric approach to music, taking in styles such as post-metal, post-rock, and sludge, combined with an industrial edge. Gathering together nine songs that were released over the 2020 isolation period, along with a new track exclusive to the album, this is a 70-minute work of rich evocative soundscapes. Continue reading “KYOTY – Isolation (Review)”
A Pale December – Death Panacea (Review)
This is the second album from Italian black metallers A Pale December.
A Pale December play bleak atmospheric/melodic black metal, riven with despair and devoid of hope. Mixing old and new influences with ease, Death Panacea is quite the impressive piece of art. Continue reading “A Pale December – Death Panacea (Review)”
Cult of Luna – The Long Road North (Review)
Cult of Luna are a Swedish post-metal band and this is their ninth album, (counting the flawless Mariner).
This is the highly anticipated follow up to 2019’s immense A Dawn to Fear, and gives us 69 minutes of new material from this always-impressive band.
Cult of Luna once again drown us with an ocean of emotion. The Long Road North is a broad soundscape of Continue reading “Cult of Luna – The Long Road North (Review)”
Breaths – Though Life Has Turned out Nothing Like I Imagined, It Is Far Better Than I Could Have Dreamt (Review)
This is the second album from US one-man post-metal band Breaths.
Here we have 35 minutes of music that’s described as a mix of post-metal, black metal, doom metal, shoegaze, post-rock, progressive metal, and post-hardcore, and recommended for bands such as Alcest, Deftones, Deafheaven, and Sleep Token. Believe it or not, this wide mix of genres actually makes sense within the context of the bands mentioned, so a picture can start to form of what the Breaths sound is like before you encounter the artist’s emotive metal. Continue reading “Breaths – Though Life Has Turned out Nothing Like I Imagined, It Is Far Better Than I Could Have Dreamt (Review)”
Barús – Fanges (Review)
This is the latest EP from French death metallers Barús.
I enjoyed 2015’s self-titled EP, as well as 2018’s Drowned, so when it appeared Fanges was always destined for my playlists. Although billed as an EP, there’s actually an album’s worth of material for some bands here – 34-minutes spread out over two large tracks. Barús play atmospheric death metal with progressive and dissonant elements, and on Fanges they range wider and more freely than they have done before. Continue reading “Barús – Fanges (Review)”
Wonderbox Metal End of Year List – Best Metal of 2021
Yes, it’s that time of year again! 2021 gave us some very, very good metal, and I feel honoured to have been able to have listened to as much of it as I have done. There are some notable absences, (for me at least), from the below list, but there’s just not enough time or space for everything, dammit!
2020 was a very blackened year for me; I listened to a lot of black metal, and the list for that year reflected that. At the start of 2021 I decided I’d consciously try to ensure I cast my net a bit wider again, reconnecting more deeply with some of many other styles of metal that I enjoy. 2021’s list reflects this. However, I’ve still ended up with much more of a black metal presence in the list than I was initially expecting. What can I say? I’m a sucker for all of the myriad blackened flavours of the style. However, there’s also a lot of other stuff here that I hope you’ll dig into and enjoy too. I felt that there was a notable absence of grindcore in 2021, as well as some of the more extreme styles of doom. What do you think?
I hope you enjoy perusing some of my favourite records from this year, and I hope you find something new to tickle your fancy. What’s your number one this year? Continue reading “Wonderbox Metal End of Year List – Best Metal of 2021”
No God Only Teeth – Placenta (Review)
This is the debut album from post-metal/sludge band No God Only Teeth.
No God Only Teeth play a characterful style that mixes together sludge and post-metal, with elements of post-rock and crust. The band take an emotive approach to their material, forging dark soundscapes from the various subgenres. Continue reading “No God Only Teeth – Placenta (Review)”
