Spectral Lore – Wonderbox Metal

Serpent Ascending, Ôros Kaù, Swords of Dis, and Midnight Odyssey – From the Waters of Death – Split (Review)

Serpent Ascending, Ôros Kaù, Swords of Dis, and Midnight Odyssey have joined together to produce an epic split album.

Now here’s an interesting and unusual release. This massive split is a collaborative concept album aimed at providing a contemporary retelling of the Epic of Gilgamesh. From the Waters of Death brings together an array of atypical talent from the exceptional I, Voidhanger roster, and is something you should definitely be paying attention to if Continue reading “Serpent Ascending, Ôros Kaù, Swords of Dis, and Midnight Odyssey – From the Waters of Death – Split (Review)”

Starer – Ancient Monuments and Modern Sadness (Review)

This is the fourth album from Starer, a one-man black metal band from the US.

Since appearing out of nowhere with the wonderful 18° Below the Horizon in 2021, the artist behind Starer has been busy. We’ve had two subsequent full lengths, (2022’s The What It Is to Be and 2023’s Wind, Breeze, or Breath), and a plethora of other smaller releases. he’s now back with the 49-minute Ancient Monuments and Modern Sadness, and it’s a cracking record. Continue reading “Starer – Ancient Monuments and Modern Sadness (Review)”

Esoctrilihum – Ghostigmatah – Spiritual Rites of the Psychopomp Abxulöm (Review)

This is the twelfth album from French one-man black metal band Esoctrilihum.

It’s always a pleasure to get a new Esoctrilihum release. If you’re familiar with the artist’s past work, (such as 2018’s Pandaemorthium (Forbidden Formulas to Awaken the Blind Sovereigns of Nothingness), 2021’s Dy’th Requiem for the Serpent Telepath, 2022’s Consecration of the Spiritüs Flesh, 2023’s Astraal Constellations of the Majickal Zodiac, or 2024’s Döth-Dernyàlh), you’ll know that you never quite know quite what to expect from this prolific and idiosyncratic artist. What does the 87-minute Ghostigmatah – Spiritual Rites of the Psychopomp Abxulöm have in store for us? Continue reading “Esoctrilihum – Ghostigmatah – Spiritual Rites of the Psychopomp Abxulöm (Review)”

Acathexis – Immerse (Review)

This is the second album from Acathexis, an international black metal band.

Acathexis is given dark life by Jacob Buczarski(, the artist behind the amazing Mare Cognitum), the insanely prolific Déhà, (COAG, Cult of Erinyes, Silver Knife, Slow, We All Die (Laughing), and many others), and a singer from some bands I don’t know, (Dany Tee, from Los Males del Mundo and Seelenmord). Immerse may only have four songs, but with a total duration of 50 minutes, there’s a lot here to delve deeply into. The album is Well-named, and the songs are sprawling and immersive. Continue reading “Acathexis – Immerse (Review)”

Omega Infinity – The Anticurrent (Review)

This is the second album from international black metal band Omega Infinity.

Brought to us by members of Ne Obliviscaris and Todtgelichter, The Anticurrent is a 49-minute journey into the realms of cosmic black metal, (or 57 minutes with the bonus Sear Bliss and Emperor covers). Continue reading “Omega Infinity – The Anticurrent (Review)”

Iravu – A Fate Worse Than Home (Review)

This is the debut album from Malaysian one-man black metal band Iravu.

A Fate Worse Than Home contains 34 minutes of expressive, cosmic black metal. Mixing the atmospheric, ambient, and progressive styles into an engaging whole, the artist behind Iravu has crafted something quite special here. Continue reading “Iravu – A Fate Worse Than Home (Review)”

Auriferous Flame – The Great Mist Within (Review)

This is the debut album from one-man Greek black metal act Auriferous Flame.

Brought to us by the artist behind Spectral Lore and Mystras, The Great Mist Within contains 39 minutes of black metal influenced by the classic second wave era. It’s modelled on the traditional style, but can’t escape the contemporary feel that the artist brings to it. Continue reading “Auriferous Flame – The Great Mist Within (Review)”

Label Roundup: I, Voidhanger Records – Creature, Mystras, Ars Magna Umbrae, & Vertebra Atlantis (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.

I, Voidhanger Records consistently puts out high quality, frequently non-standard music. One of their releases is always an interesting proposition to explore. Below you’ll find four of the label’s more recent ones; make sure you give each of them the time it deserves… Continue reading “Label Roundup: I, Voidhanger Records – Creature, Mystras, Ars Magna Umbrae, & Vertebra Atlantis (Reviews)”

Monthly Overview – the Best of April 2021

Another month, another truckload of top tier metal releases. 2021 just keeps on giving when it comes to music. I struggled hard to limit the below list to the ones that I did, and could easily have included more albums from what was a very packed April. Continue reading “Monthly Overview – the Best of April 2021”

Spectral Lore – Ετερόφωτος (Review)

Spectral Lore is a one-man Greek atmospheric black metal band, and this is his fifth album.

I was quite excited to see a new Spectral Lore release so soon after the masterful Wanderers: Astrology of the Nine – a colossal split with Mare Cognitum. This new album is pretty colossal too, containing a whopping 79 minutes of music, and it’s every bit as good as you think it is for the most part. Continue reading “Spectral Lore – Ετερόφωτος (Review)”