This is the fourth album from Lord Dying, a sludge metal band from the US.
I absolutely loved 2019’s Mysterium Tremendum, (it ended up in fourth position in that year’s best of list), so I was thrilled when the 59-minute Clandestine Transcendence appeared. Well, it’s five years later and the band have a new lineup, (current/ex-Eight Bells/Tithe), so what does Clandestine Transcendence have to offer discerning metal fans in 2024? Continue reading “Lord Dying – Clandestine Transcendence (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 third album from Swedish sludge metal band Vak.
The Islands contains 50 minutes of progressive sludge metal. Taking in parts of doom, sludge, stoner, psychedelic, and progressive rock, Vak build musical structures that are unusual and impressive. Continue reading “Vak – The Islands (Review)”
This is the second album from US stoner/sludge metal band Witch Ripper.
Witch Ripper play a brand of heavy music that exists somewhere between sludge metal and progressive rock. The Flight After the Fall is an ambitious and enjoyable slab of modern progressive sludge that takes the listener on a 47-minute journey into expressive and emotive waters. Continue reading “Witch Ripper – The Flight After the Fall (Review)”
Somnuri are a sludge metal band from the US. and this is their second album.
Featuring an ex-member of Cleanteeth, Somnuri’s sound can best be described as something like progressive sludge metal. The promo blurb mentions bands such as High on Fire, Mastodon, Converge, Torche, and Baroness, and this sets the scene nicely. However, while all of the Continue reading “Somnuri – Nefarious Wave (Review)”
March was an insanely good month for metal. I wouldn’t be surprised if more than one of the below made it to my end of year list. Check out these scorchers! Continue reading “Monthly Overview – the Best of March 2021”
This is the third album from Lord Dying, a sludge metal band from the US.
A quick comparison between the cover artwork for the band’s previous album Poisoned Altars and this new one immediately led me to believe that Mysterium Tremendum was going to be a different kettle of fish Continue reading “Lord Dying – Mysterium Tremendum (Review)”
Khaldera are from Switzerland. They play post-metal and this is their second EP.
Khaldera play their music as an instrumental band with plenty of atmosphere.
Weaving heavy, down-beat grooves with atmospheric doom and post-metal contemplation, this 18 minute Continue reading “Khaldera – Alteration (Review)”
Wonderbox Metal 