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”

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

Beyond Grace - Welcome to the New Dark Ages, Part 1This 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)”

Cruciamentum – Obsidian Refractions (Review)

Cruciamentum - Obsidian RefractionsThis is the second album from international death metallers Cruciamentum.

Featuring current/ex-members of Vacivus and Perdition Temple, Cruciamentum play old-school death metal that fans of acts such as Incantation, Corpsessed, Ritual Necromancy, Fossilization, and Immolation should check out. Continue reading “Cruciamentum – Obsidian Refractions (Review)”

Stortregn – Finitude (Review)

Stortregn - FinitudeStortregn are a black/death metal band from Switzerland and this is their sixth album.

Well, this is an impressive beast. If you’re looking for a feast of riffs, technicality, and melody, then look no further than Finitude. It boasts 43 minutes of the stuff, and it’s a real scorcher. Continue reading “Stortregn – Finitude (Review)”

Owdwyr – Receptor (Review)

Owdwyr - ReceptorThis is the debut album from US extreme metal band Owdwyr.

Receptor is an interesting beast. Blurring the boundaries between technical death metal, grindcore, and progressive metal, Owdwyr’s music is a riot of violence and exploratory brutality. It’s a 44-minute sophisticated wrecking ball. Continue reading “Owdwyr – Receptor (Review)”

Baring Teeth – The Path Narrows (Review)

Baring Teeth - The Path NarrowsBaring Teeth are a death metal band from the US and this is their fourth album.

I last caught up with Baring Teeth almost a decade ago on 2014’s Ghost Chorus Among Old Ruins. They also had an album out in 2018, which I missed, (I’ll have to dig it out at some point), so The Path Narrows offers a good opportunity to catch up with the band once more. So what do Baring Teeth have to offer the discerning metal fan in 2023? Continue reading “Baring Teeth – The Path Narrows (Review)”

Afterbirth – In But Not Of (Review)

Afterbirth - In But Not OfThis is the third album from US death metallers Afterbirth.

Following on from 2020’s Four Dimensional FleshIn But Not Of contains 36 minutes of devastating brutality that sounds like it was spawned in another dimension. Continue reading “Afterbirth – In But Not Of (Review)”

Tomb Mold – The Enduring Spirit (Review)

Tomb Mold - The Enduring SpiritThis is the fourth album from Canadian death metallers Tomb Mold.

Following on from 2018’s Manor of Infinite Forms and 2019’s Planetary Clairvoyance, comes The Enduring Spirit; 43 minutes of eagerly awaited material from an extremely well-regarded band. Continue reading “Tomb Mold – The Enduring Spirit (Review)”

Alkaloid – Numen (Review)

Alkaloid - NumenAlkaloid 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)”

Fabricant – Drudge to the Thicket (Review)

Fabricant - Drudge to the ThicketThis is the debut album from US death metallers Fabricant.

Fabricant play a non-standard form of death metal that combines elements of the technical, progressive, and dissonant styles. Across 43 minutes Drudge to the Thicket impresses with its grasp of complexity and creative intensity. Continue reading “Fabricant – Drudge to the Thicket (Review)”