This is the twelfth album from Norwegian blackened progressive/folk metallers Borknagar.
Borknagar are a very well-regarded band, so it’s a real pleasure to be able to catch up with their latest release. On their new album the band have created 54 minutes of new material for lovers of the band to Fall hard for, (ahem). Continue reading “Borknagar – Fall (Review)”
This is the eighth album from Ihsahn, a legendary black, progressive, and avant-garde metal artist.
Ihsahn has never lacked talent or ambition, but on this latest release he has really outdone himself. Ihsahn offers up two album’s worth of material. Each is 49 minutes in length – one is a progressive metal album with orchestral layering, while the other is a fully orchestral version. Continue reading “Ihsahn – Ihsahn (Review)”
This is the debut album from Italian blackened doom metal band Ponte del Diavolo.
Okay, so here we have something quite interesting. When the promo blurb mentions both Electric Wizard and Darkthrone, you know it’s one to take an interest in. I will say that this doesn’t fully cover what you’ll find on Fire Blades from the Tomb though, so I’ll also mention here bands such as Messa, King Woman, Vanishing Kids, and Siouxsie and the Banshees, to give a broader impression. Continue reading “Ponte del Diavolo – Fire Blades from the Tomb (Review)”
This is the second album from international blackened post-metal band Bipolar Architecture.
Metaphysicize contains 41 minutes of progressive/post-metal material that brings together elements of djent, blackgaze, hardcore, and post-rock. This mix of styles is more coherent than it sounds on paper though, presenting as a well-realised whole. Continue reading “Bipolar Architecture – Metaphysicize (Review)”
This is the fifth album from US death metal/deathcore band Enterprise Earth.
2020’s EP Foundation of Bones was a solid introduction to the band for me, but I really enjoyed 2022’s The Chosen. Yes it was too long, but I really liked the band’s ability to combine deathcore and death metal with a range of different ideas and influences to create something above the norm for the style. Two years and a new singer later, and Enterprise Earth have returned with Death: An Anthology, which delivers 59 minutes of new material. It has not disappointed. Continue reading “Enterprise Earth – Death: An Anthology (Review)”
This is the second album from UK progressive/post-metal band Mountain Caller.
Chronicle II: Hypergenesis is (mostly) instrumental, which is normally a style I avoid, although I’m not really sure why. Mountain Caller know what they’re doing though, and their appealing sound pulled me right in. Continue reading “Mountain Caller – Chronicle II: Hypergenesis (Review)”
This is the eighth album from Norwegian progressive metal band Madder Mortem.
Old Eyes, New Heart contains 48 minutes of charismatic and professionally rendered progressive metal, with doom and post-metal elements. Madder Mortem have carved a distinct and individual sound for themselves over them years, and on this new record they sound just as striking and vital as ever. Continue reading “Madder Mortem – Old Eyes, New Heart (Review)”
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”
This is the second album from US progressive rock band Earthside.
Let the Truth Speak is a 78-minute odyssey of contemporary progressive rock and metal. Built around a core of the main band, these musicians are augmented by a range of guest musicians and vocalists, (including the singer of Tesseract). Continue reading “Earthside – Let the Truth Speak (Review)”
This 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)”
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