This is the debut album from Pissboiler, a Swedish doom band.
With a name like Pissboiler, an indecipherable logo, and an album cover that’s terrifying and disturbing, you know this isn’t going to be an easy listen before you ever press play. Continue reading “Pissboiler – In the Lair of Lucid Nightmares (Review)”
2017 was an amazing year for music, with so many top-notch albums seeing the light of day. I pretty much say this every year, of course, but that doesn’t seem to stop it being true. With this in mind, the 2017 list was especially hard to put together, and I agonised over this one more than I did for any of the lists in previous years.
As is traditional, I also want to mention some releases by bands that could easily have made it onto the list, and should have by many rights, if only I could have somehow managed to fit them all in –
Abhorrent Decimation, Amenra, Apes, Artificial Brain, Au-Dessus,
Celeste, Desecrate the Faith, Earth Rot, Earth Witch, Falls of Rauros,
Full of Hell, Gnaw, Gutslit, Helpless, Henry Kane,
Hundred Suns, Ingurgitating Oblivion, Into Orbit, John Frum, Karne,
Kval, Livid, Morbid Angel, Primitive Man, Craven Idol,
Slow, Soulskinner, The Kennedy Veil, Ulsect, Wildspeaker.
I urge you to check out all of the above releases, in addition to the ones in the actual list below. I could probably keep adding more bands you should give a listen to, but a line has to be drawn somewhere, I suppose.
So, without further ado, let’s get right down to it… Continue reading “Wonderbox Metal End of Year List – Best Metal of 2017”
This is a split release between two sludge/doom/post-metal bands from Germany – Blæck Fox and Morasth.
Blæck Fox present us with 15 minutes of layered blackened gloom. Spread over two tracks, Blæck Fox bring the darkness with enviable ability. Continue reading “Blæck Fox – Morasth – Split (Review)”
Minors are a hardcore/sludge band from Canada. This is their debut album.
This is 19 minutes of ugly feedback and remorseless intensity. Containing elements of hardcore, punk, metal, and powerviolence, all wrapped up in a harsh sludge delivery, Atrophy is a withering, caustic listen. The keyword here is violence. Continue reading “Minors – Atrophy (Review)”
This is the debut album Greek post-hardcore/sludge band Chronoboros.
2015’s Dialing up the Clutter was an enjoyable, if brief, introduction to Chronoboros’ jagged, angular sound, and now they’re back with their first full length; 34 minutes of harsh noise and deliberate contrariness. Continue reading “Chronoboros – No Dirt or Silver Will Have Us Sated (Review)”
Shadowmaster are a Swedish doom/sludge metal band and this is their debut album.
Now this is the stuff. This is brooding and monolithic doom metal, a whopping 66 minutes of it in fact. Continue reading “Shadowmaster – Shadowmaster (Review)”
Djinn and Miskatonic are an Indian doom metal band and this is their second album.
2013’s Forever in the Realm was a charismatic and flavoured doom metal album that made a firm impression on me. It’s been far too long since we’ve had some more music from this notable band, but they’ve more than made Continue reading “Djinn and Miskatonic – Even Gods Must Die (Review)”
Gürschach are a metal band from the US and this is their debut album.
So what do Gürschach sound like? I suppose if you take a base of classic heavy metal, while mixing in elements of modern, alternative, thrash, and progressive metal, you’ll have a good place to start from. Continue reading “Gürschach – Dark Matter (Review)”
Sorxe are a post-metal/sludge/doom band from the US and this is their second album.
Well, I’ve been hungry for this. 2014’s Surrounded by Shadows is one of my favourite sludge/doom releases, making it high up on my end of year best of list for 2014. Over the years my appreciation for this superlative album has only grown, so has my desire to hear its follow up. Continue reading “Sorxe – Matter & Void (Review)”
WVRM are a US grindcore band and this is their latest EP.
Although you should never judge the proverbial book by its proverbial cover, something about this band screamed to me that I was going to love them the moment I pressed play. I was not wrong. Continue reading “WVRM – Can You Hear the Wind Howl (Review)”
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