This is the second album from Italian death/doom band Assumption.
Following on from 2014’s The Three Appearances and 2018’s Absconditus, Hadean Tides contains 56 minutes of new material from Assumption. Continue reading “Assumption – Hadean Tides (Review)”
Formerly known as Mammoth Weed Wizard Bastard, MWWB are a Welsh doom metal band and this is their fourth album.
I do enjoy MWWB’s work, (Y Proffwyd Dwyll, the band’s split with Slomatics, and Yn Ol I Annwn are all highly recommended), so was pleased when The Harvest manifested itself to me. Continue reading “MWWB – The Harvest (Review)”
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”
Fragment Soul are a Greek progressive doom band, and this is their debut album.
Axiom of Choice is a richly expressive work, which focuses on building atmosphere and emotion across four highly engaging songs, lasting 42 minutes in total. There’s no real heaviness or metal here, so don’t be misled by any of the genre tags or band references; this is slow, ethereal, gentle, and filled with feeling. It’s an album of depth and expansive ambience that, if you’re a fan of the style, should firmly root itself into your music collection. Continue reading “Fragment Soul – Axiom of Choice (Review)”
This is a gargantuan four-way split, consisting of 15 tracks across a total duration of 96 minutes. Continue reading “Thy Darkened Shade/Amestigon/Inconcessus Lux Lucis/Shaarimoth – SamaeLilith: A Conjunction of the Fireborn – Split (Review)”
May continued 2021’s trend of being a very good year for metal. As is now usual, restricting the list to just a handful of releases was difficult. There’s more where this came from! Continue reading “Monthly Overview – the Best of May 2021”
This is the fourth album from Vokonis, a progressive doom metal band from Sweden.
Vokonis’ style mixes together progressive metal with stoner and doom metal, resulting in a colourful and enjoyable collection of tracks. While Mastodon is the obvious reference point, it’s also an inadequate one for Odyssey, as there’s a lot more at play here than simply Mastodon worship. I can also hear elements of bands as diverse as Sleep, Slomatics, Elder, Perihelion Ship, Rush, Khemmis, Alice in Chains, Witchkiss, Monolord, and Black Crown Initiate, to name but a few. Continue reading “Vokonis – Odyssey (Review)”
Dvne are a progressive sludge metal band from the UK and this is their second album.
Etemen Ænka is the 67-minute follow up to 2017’s immensely enjoyable Asheran, and a release I’ve been greatly anticipating. If you’re a fan of bands such as Sorxe, Mastodon, The Ocean, Isis, Minsk, Inter Arma, and Neurosis, then Etemen Ænka is an album for you. Maybe even THE album for you. Continue reading “Dvne – Etemen Ænka (Review)”
This is the debut album from UK atmospheric doom metal solo act Sunyata.
The artist describes Sunyata’s music as a mix of funeral doom and modern classical. Although this serves as a decent description, it doesn’t quite do justice to the wealth of rich content that’s to be found on The Great Beyond. Continue reading “Sunyata – The Great Beyond (Review)”
This is the debut album from US doom band Vacant Eyes.
Combining funeral doom, death/doom, melodic doom, and progressive doom, A Somber Preclusion of Being contains 75 minutes of sorrowful soundscapes. Continue reading “Vacant Eyes – A Somber Preclusion of Being (Review)”
Wonderbox Metal 