Rotting Christ – Wonderbox Metal

Yoth Iria – Blazing Inferno (Review)

Yoth Iria are a Greek black metal band and this is their second album.

2021’s As the Flame Withers was a notable entrance into the world by Yoth Iria, one brought to us by an ex-member of both Rotting Christ and Varathron – Jim Mutilator. Yoth Iria have now returned, with the 36-minute Blazing Inferno. Over 10 minutes shorter than its predecessor, (while having the same number of tracks), and featuring an almost completely different lineup, what does the Yoth Iria of 2024 have to offer us? Continue reading “Yoth Iria – Blazing Inferno (Review)”

Varathron – The Crimson Temple (Review)

Varathron are a Greek black metal band and this is their seventh album.

I haven’t caught up with Varathron since 2014’s Untrodden Corridors of Hades, so reconnecting with them is long overdue. The Crimson Temple contains 49 minutes of new material, and it’s something quite something. Continue reading “Varathron – The Crimson Temple (Review)”

Nixil – From the Wound Spilled Forth Fire (Review)

Nixil are a US black metal band and this is their second album.

From the Wound Spilled Forth Fire presents us with 43 minutes of black metal that is intimately acquainted with a darker side of the style that’s both vicious and mood-rich. Continue reading “Nixil – From the Wound Spilled Forth Fire (Review)”

Necrofier – Burning Shadows in the Southern Night (Review)

This is the second album from US black metallers Necrofier.

Following on from 2021’s Prophecies of Eternal Darkness, Burning Shadows in the Southern Night contains 47 minutes of melodic black metal with a classic heavy metal influence. Continue reading “Necrofier – Burning Shadows in the Southern Night (Review)”

Label Roundup: Godz Ov War Productions – Eradicate, Toughness, & Angrrsth/Czort (Reviews)

Wonderbox Metal gets sent a lot of new music, (which is great), but there’s no way that everything can get covered unfortunately, (which is not so great). This column hopes to redress this balance, if only slightly, by taking a look at a handful of releases that a record label has recently sent out that might have otherwise slipped through the cracks.

Godz Ov War Productions have released some good albums over the years, so now seemed as good a time as any to catch up with some of their latest output. According to the label, they are “an independent label dedicated to extreme music from the depths of the underground.”Let’s see what they’ve got… Continue reading “Label Roundup: Godz Ov War Productions – Eradicate, Toughness, & Angrrsth/Czort (Reviews)”

Label Roundup: Grind to Death Records – Belarus Beaver, Eldprov, & Beyond the Catacombs (Reviews)

In this edition of this column we’ll take a look at Swedish label Grind to Death Records. It’s not a label I’m familiar with, so how better to get a good look at what they do than this? Besides, how could I resist a grindcore album about beavers… Continue reading “Label Roundup: Grind to Death Records – Belarus Beaver, Eldprov, & Beyond the Catacombs (Reviews)”

Label Roundup: Black Mass Prayers – Lykten, Urluk, & Valadier (Reviews)

Wonderbox Metal gets sent a lot of new music, (which is great), but there’s no way that everything can get covered unfortunately, (which is not so great). This new column hopes to redress this balance, if only slightly, by taking a look at a handful of releases that a record label has recently sent out that might have otherwise slipped through the cracks.

For this edition we turn to Black Mass Prayers, an Italian label that states it is “supporting the Italian Black Metal underground and aiming to spread its glory worldwide”. Neither other the label nor the bands on it were familiar to me prior to this, so it felt like a good time to dig in and explore what they had to offer… Continue reading “Label Roundup: Black Mass Prayers – Lykten, Urluk, & Valadier (Reviews)”

Vanum – Legend (Review)

This is the third album from US black metallers Vanum.

The promo blurb states that Legend is for fans of Ultha, Wiegedood, Ash Borer, Fell Voices, Turia, Fluisteraars, Wode, Yellow Eyes, Bathory, Rotting Christ, and epic heavy metal. This is as good a place as any to start with for this record. Continue reading “Vanum – Legend (Review)”

Anomalie – Tranceformation (Review)

Anomalie are an Austrian post-black metal band and this is their fourth album.

Following on from 2017’s well-received Visions, (via an EP I haven’t heard), Tranceformation contains 44 minutes of new material, and comes with a newly-focused direction to boot. A rough reference point for what Tranceformation sounds like would be a mix of bands such as Schammasch, Enslaved, and old Anomalie, although to be honest this is only a very approximate guide at best, especially as some songs have a modern doom metal flavour too, (most notably opening track). Continue reading “Anomalie – Tranceformation (Review)”

Yoth Iria – As the Flame Withers (Review)

Yoth Iria are a Greek black metal band and this is their debut album.

Containing ex-Rotting Christ and ex-Varathron members, Yoth Iria play a form of Hellenic black metal, as would be expected, but don’t limit themselves to this completely, (there’s a strong occult atmospheric component to the music, for example, as well as a classic heavy metal one – think Iron Maiden in particular). Continue reading “Yoth Iria – As the Flame Withers (Review)”