Sludge – Page 3 – Wonderbox Metal

In the Company of Serpents – A Crack in Everything (Review)

In the Company of Serpents are a doom metal band from the US and this is their fifth album.

I’ve enjoyed watching In the Company of Serpents ply their heaviness over the years. From 2014’s Merging in Light, to 2017’s Ain-Soph Aur, to 2020’s Lux, the band have always put releases out that hit the spot for me. Now, five years after their last album, we have the 44-minute A Crack in Everything to satiate our need for sludge/doom soundscapes. Continue reading “In the Company of Serpents – A Crack in Everything (Review)”

Dimscûa – Dust Eater (Review)

This is the debut album from UK post-metal band Dimscûa.

It’s unlikely I would have come across this if it wasn’t for the organiser of Damnation Festival‘s enthusiastic endorsement for it on the brilliant 2 Promoters 1 Pod. I’m glad I did though, as it’s a corker. Dust Eater is a 32-minute post-metal/sludge tour de force. Continue reading “Dimscûa – Dust Eater (Review)”

Goya – In the Dawn of November (Review)

Goya are a doom metal band from the US and this is their fourth album.

It’s been a long time since 2017’s Harvester of Bongloads, so it’s great to finally have a new album from Goya. The band’s previous album was stronger than most in the realms of doom metal, so expectations are high for the 40-minute In the Dawn of November. Continue reading “Goya – In the Dawn of November (Review)”

Coltsblood – Obscured into Nebulous Dusk (Review)

Coltsblood are a doom band from the UK and this is their third album.

Following on from 2019’s split with Un, (which I thoroughly enjoyed), it’s great to have a new album from Coltsblood to get to grips with. It’s four songs, 42 minutes of hideous blackened doom nastiness. Continue reading “Coltsblood – Obscured into Nebulous Dusk (Review)”

Full of Hell – Broken Sword, Rotten Shield (Review)

This is the latest EP from US grindcore band Full of Hell.

A new 15 minutes of Full of Hell‘s scathingly charismatic grindcore? Hell yes! Broken Sword, Rotten Shield is a compendium of different influences, all brought together with the band’s consummate skill into seven adventurous tracks. It’s harsh, but delightful. Continue reading “Full of Hell – Broken Sword, Rotten Shield (Review)”

Make Them Suffer/Resolve/Conjurer/If Not for Me – Academy 2, Manchester – 10/05/25 (Live Review)

I fell hard for last year’s Make Them Suffer, so the opportunity to catch the band live was irresistible. Since then, I’ve only enjoyed the album more and more, and I’ve delved into their back catalogue too. In general, I’m not a huge fan of modern metalcore, but Make Them Suffer are a notable exception. They somehow manage to effectively manifest a host of ideas and sounds that I would usually not care for most of the time; they have that special something in abundance.

Anyway, fawning over with, let’s get to the show. There are three other bands first, only one – Conjurer – that I already know. Continue reading “Make Them Suffer/Resolve/Conjurer/If Not for Me – Academy 2, Manchester – 10/05/25 (Live Review)”

Acceptance – Crucifixion of Orchids (Review)

Acceptance are a post-black metal band from the UK and this is their debut album.

Previously known as Fatalist, (with an album under that name, so whether this is their first or second I suppose is up for debate), Acceptance exist at an interesting intersection between atmospheric black metal, sludge, blackgaze, and post-rock. Continue reading “Acceptance – Crucifixion of Orchids (Review)”

No Heroes – Brood Eternal (Review)

This is the debut album from US grindcore band No Heroes.

Now here’s an interesting release. Brood Eternal was created over the course of a decade, and mixes together elements of black metal, sludge, hardcore, grindcore, and noise. Yep, No Heroes, (who feature a member of Ashbringer), play a grim hybrid style, and I frequently end up really liking bands that throw all kinds of influences like this into a melting pot to end up with something really dark and nasty. Let’s have a taste then. Continue reading “No Heroes – Brood Eternal (Review)”

Lightless – A Foreseen Loss (Review)

This is the debut album from German doom band Lightless.

A Foreseen Loss is a crushing 80-minute slab of blackened doom. Lightless play a gargantuan brand of doom mixed with serrated black metal and dark murderous sludge, (along with touches of post-metal and drone). Let me tell you, it doesn’t just hit the spot, but obliterates it. Continue reading “Lightless – A Foreseen Loss (Review)”

Conan – Violence Dimension (Review)

This is the sixth album from UK doom metallers Conan.

I haven’t managed to review a Conan album since 2016’s Revengeance, so rectifying this is long overdue. Since Revengeance Conan have changed lineup, picking up a drummer from Dread Sovereign and a bassist who used to be in the mighty Fudge Tunnel. Let’s get to it then. Continue reading “Conan – Violence Dimension (Review)”