Schammasch – Wonderbox Metal

Zatokrev – …Bring Mirrors to the Surface (Review)

Zatokrev are a doom/sludge/post-metal band from Switzerland and this is their fifth album.

I was very, very excited to see this one appear. Rather shockingly, it’s been a whole decade since 2015’s Silk Spiders Underwater…, so it’s great to finally have the 65-minute …Bring Mirrors to the Surface. Zatokrev are one of the greatest doom/sludge/post-metal bands in existence, yet are criminally unknown. They’ve now signed to the fantastic Pelagic Records, wo hopefully this will allow them to get the exposure they deserve. Continue reading “Zatokrev – …Bring Mirrors to the Surface (Review)”

Schammasch – The Maldoror Chants: Old Ocean (Review)

Schammasch are a black metal band from Switzerland and this is their fifth album.

I have been really excited to hear this one. I’ve been a big fan of everything I’ve heard from Schammasch; make sure you check out 2016’s Triangle and 2019’s Hearts of No Light, both of which are top tier records, and both of which placed on my end of year lists for 2016 and 2019. Interestingly though, The Maldoror Chants: Old Ocean is the spiritual follow up to Schammasch’s 2017 avant-garde EP The Maldoror Chants: Hermaphrodite, making me even more interested to find out what this new opus had to offer. Continue reading “Schammasch – The Maldoror Chants: Old Ocean (Review)”

Coldcell – Age of Unreason (Review)

This is the fifth album from Swiss black metallers Coldcell.

Following on from 2021’s The Greater Evil, Age of Unreason contains 47 minutes of new material from Coldcell. Age of Unreason offers up a compelling modern black metal vision. It’s a heavily atmospheric and ritualistic one, combining elements of the atmospheric and post-black metal styles into an orthodox framework. Continue reading “Coldcell – Age of Unreason (Review)”

Sacrificial Vein – Black Terror Genesis (Review)

Sacrificial Vein are a black metal band from the US and this is their debut album.

Containing the singer of Nothingness in their ranks, Sacrificial Vein play avant-garde/dissonant black metal. Black Terror Genesis is a 47-minute journey into darkness. Continue reading “Sacrificial Vein – Black Terror Genesis (Review)”

Pyrkagion – The Katechon and the Unending Fire (Review)

This is the debut EP from US black metal band Pyrkagion.

The Katechon and the Unending Fire is a 26-minute EP consisting of two tracks. Brought to us by members of Bell Witch, Human Effluence, and Hissing, Pyrkagion deliver a strong lesson in modern black metal. Continue reading “Pyrkagion – The Katechon and the Unending Fire (Review)”

Dødsengel – Bab Al On (Review)

This is the fifth album from Norwegian black metal band Dødsengel.

I haven’t caught up with Dødsengel in a while, but enjoyed both their 2013 split with Nightbringer – Circumambulations of the Solar Inferno – and their 2017 album Interequinox, so when Bab Al On appeared with its very striking album art, I knew I wanted to explore that it had to offer. Continue reading “Dødsengel – Bab Al On (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)”

Coldcell – The Greater Evil (Review)

This is the fourth album from Swiss black metallers Coldcell.

Featuring the drummer of Schammasch and guest vocals on two songs by the singer of Zatokrev, Coldcell spend 49 minutes delivering atmospheric modern black metal that’s sinister and layered with existential dread. Continue reading “Coldcell – The Greater Evil (Review)”

Aversio Humanitatis – Behold the Silent Dwellers (Review)

This is the second album from Spanish black metallers Aversio Humanitatis.

Aversio Humanitatis play a modern brand of black metal, replete with apocalyptic atmosphere and dark death metal elements. I suppose you could loosely describe this band as a cross between Behemoth, Schammasch, Blut Aus Nord, Continue reading “Aversio Humanitatis – Behold the Silent Dwellers (Review)”

Wonderbox Metal End of Year List – Best Metal of 2019

Another year gone by, where does all the time go? Listening to metal I suppose, that’s where. Every year brings more metal delights, so I invite you to partake of 30 of my favourites from the rather metallically fertile 2019. Let me know which ones are your favourites to! Continue reading “Wonderbox Metal End of Year List – Best Metal of 2019”