New year, new metal. What did January have to offer? More than it usually does, it turns out. Let’s take a look at five of the best… Continue reading “Monthly Overview – the Best of January 2021”
Tag: Progressive metal
Oceana – The Pattern (Review)
Oceana are a progressive metal band from Italy and this is their debut album.
As an introductory description of The Pattern, I’m just going to be lazy and quite the promo blurb – “The intent was to mix progressive metal elements with European-style death doom. Influences, from a musical point of view, range from Edge of Sanity to Katatonia, from Paradise Lost to Duran Duran, from Metallica to Dream Theater, in a Continue reading “Oceana – The Pattern (Review)”
Devils Reef – Chosen by the Sea (Review)
This is the debut album from Devils Reef, a death metal band from the US.
Chosen by the Sea contains 35 minutes of death metal that incorporates elements from both technical and thrash metal. Continue reading “Devils Reef – Chosen by the Sea (Review)”
Kultika – Capricorn Wolves (Review)
This is the second album from Romanian progressive/post-metallers Kultika.
I’ve been eagerly awaiting this ever since 2017’s Pursuance. I’ve had to wait longer than I expected for Capricorn Wolves, but it’s been worth the wait. Continue reading “Kultika – Capricorn Wolves (Review)”
Paul Sadler – Soon to Be Absorbed (Review)
This is the debut solo album from UK progressive rock artist Paul Sadler.
Paul Sadler is apparently the vocalist/guitarist of UK progressive metallers Spires; unfortunately I’m unfamiliar with this band, so I can’t comment on how similar Paul’s material is to his main outfit. What I can comment on, however, Continue reading “Paul Sadler – Soon to Be Absorbed (Review)”
Wonderbox Metal End of Year List EXTRA! – Best Non-Reviewed Metal of 2020
I’ve decided to do something new for 2020 – a second End of Year list. If you’ve missed it, my standard, definitive best of 2020 list can be seen here, and is made up of albums I was lucky enough to get to review. However, this year I want to also highlight some of the many albums that I’ve enjoyed listening to, but for one reason or another never had the chance to review. So, consider this a complementary list of sorts to the main one. Continue reading “Wonderbox Metal End of Year List EXTRA! – Best Non-Reviewed Metal of 2020”
Wonderbox Metal End of Year List – Best Metal of 2020
Almost every year I think about how challenging it is to compile a definitive best of list, and how subjective it is, etc. Although that’s still true for this collecting of albums, this year, however, has been easier than most. 2020 has been heavy on the black metal for me. It’s been my most reviewed genre, in all its myriad permutations, and this is reflected in the below list.
For the longest of times the bands in positions 5 and 6 vied for top position, but then October and November happened. All of a sudden, unexpectedly, these two months unleashed a wealth of quality, and stole the top four positions in a rampant display of blackened supremacy.
I hope you enjoy the below recommendations of mine and find something new to obsess over. Let me know how you get on.
Let’s dig in… Continue reading “Wonderbox Metal End of Year List – Best Metal of 2020”
Pillory – Scourge upon Humanity (Review)
This is the third album from one-man US death metal band Pillory.
Across 64 minutes, the artist behind Pillory batters and bewilders the listener with an onslaught of technical death metal. Scourge upon Humanity clearly won’t be for everyone, even just from that description alone, Continue reading “Pillory – Scourge upon Humanity (Review)”
Growth – The Smothering Arms of Mercy (Review)
Growth are an Australian death metal band and this is their debut album.
This is essentially modern progressive death metal, but with a distinctly personal slant. That’s a bit too simplistic a description though. The promo blurb mentions bands such as Opeth, Gorguts, Black Crown Initiate, and Fallujah, and I can see why. To Continue reading “Growth – The Smothering Arms of Mercy (Review)”
Leviathan – Words Waging War (Review)
This is the seventh album form US progressive metallers Leviathan.
Having enjoyed 2014’s Beholden to Nothing, Braver Since Then and 2018’s Can’t Be Seen by Looking: Blurring the Lines, Clouding the Truth, I was looking forward to this. Now that it’s here, Words Waging War provides 68 minutes of progressive metal that’s well-written and well-performed. Continue reading “Leviathan – Words Waging War (Review)”
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