This is the fifth album from German blackened metal act Mantar.
A new Mantar album is always an enjoyable event. 2018’s The Modern Art of Setting Ablaze and 2022’s Pain Is Forever and This Is the End were both compelling hybrids of black metal, punk, and grunge, so it’s with expectation that we turn to the 36-minute Post Apocalyptic Depression. Continue reading “Mantar – Post Apocalyptic Depression (Review)”
Lay Waste are a grindcore band from the US and this is their debut EP.
I’m going to try to listen to more grindcore this year. It’s a genre I love, but has been a bit thin on the ground for my tastes for the last few years. With that in mind, I randomly came across Lay Waste on Bandcamp, so here we are with my first new grind listening experience of 2025. Continue reading “Lay Waste – Savage Rebellion (Review)”
Yes, it’s list season once more, so gather round and witness some of the best metal that 2024 had to offer!
2024 was a fantastic year for metal, and that’s an understatement. I thought 2023 was one of the weaker years for metal releases, overall. As such, putting last year’s list together, although challenging as it always is, was relatively effortless compared to this one. I don’t think I’ve agonised over placings more any other year. In the end, similar to last year, I just decided that enough was enough and I needed to just stop needlessly obsessing. Continue reading “Wonderbox Metal End of Year List – Best Metal of 2024”
This is the third album from Polish grindcore band Ass to Mouth.
It’s been ten years since Ass to Mouth’s last album Degenerate, but unexpectedly they have managed to drag themselves away from whatever foul activities they have been distracted by for the last decade to bring us the fierce and merciless Enemy of the Human Race. Continue reading “Ass to Mouth – Enemy of the Human Race (Review)”
This is the fourth album from UK black metallers Burial.
I haven’t caught up with Burial since their 2016 album Unholy Sedition, so it is high time I did once more. Featuring in their ranks members of Cairns, Foetal Juice, and Wolfbastard, Burial know what they’re doing with their music, and Rejoice in Sin delivers 40 minutes of raw iciness for the listener to get frozen by. Continue reading “Burial – Rejoice in Sin (Review)”
Mammoth Grinder are a death metal band from the US and this is their latest EP.
It has been a long six years since 2018’s Cosmic Crypt, but Mammoth Grinder have once again dragged themselves out from their tombs and are ready to lay waste once more. Bringing with them 14 minutes of new music in the form of Undying Spectral Resonance, Mammoth Grinder’s reappearance is brief, but impactful. Continue reading “Mammoth Grinder – Undying Spectral Resonance (Review)”
This is the debut EP from Spanish grindcore band Immune to Them.
Five tracks, 10 minutes – it’s time for a hit of grinding ferocity from Immune to Them. Vomit the Chains marks a new entrant into the grindcore killing arena, and we may have a future champion on our hands. Continue reading “Immune to Them – Vomit the Chains (Review)”
Uniform are an industrial band from the US and this is their fifth album.
Ever since discovering Uniform on their 2018 album The Long Walk I’ve looked forward to every subsequent release. Whether it’s their collaborations with The Body in 2019, (Everything That Dies Someday Comes Back), or Boris in 2023, (Bright New Disease), or their most recent full length in 2020 Shame, Uniform always produce music that’s worth exploring. All of which is to say that American Standard is hotly anticipated. Continue reading “Uniform – American Standard (Review)”
This is a split between two US black metal bands, Lust Hag and Reaping Fields.
NEW LUST HAG! ALERT! ALERT! ALERT! I dunno what it is with Lust Hag, but I just can’t get enough. Actually, I know exactly what it is – it’s just absolutely killer black metal. This is a split though, and Reaping Fields, as we’ll see, are a revelation. Continue reading “Lust Hag/Reaping Fields – Prayers Unanswered – Split (Review)”
This is the tenth album from UK stoner/heavy metal band Orange Goblin.
A new Orange Goblin album is a notable event. 2014’s Back from the Abyss was a top drawer record, followed by 2018’s enjoyable The Wolf Bites Back. Six years later, we get Science, Not Fiction, which brings us 53 minutes, (with bonus track), of new material. Continue reading “Orange Goblin – Science, Not Fiction (Review)”
