The Ocean – Page 2 – Wonderbox Metal

Anciients – Beyond the Reach of the Sun (Review)

This is the third album from Canadian progressive metal band Anciients.

I haven’t heard Anciients since their 2013 album Heart of Oak, and it’s been a long eight years since their last release, (2016’s Voice of the Void, which I completely missed out on), so I’ve some cathing up to do. I really like their debut though, so was looking forward to the 59 minuets of Beyond the Reach of the Sun. The band have a new lineup, but they still don’t let me down. Continue reading “Anciients – Beyond the Reach of the Sun (Review)”

Hippotraktor – Stasis (Review)

This is the second album from Belgian progressive metal band Hippotraktor.

Stasis contains 47 minutes of material that combines elements of the technical, groove, djent, and post-metal styles into a contemporary progressive metal framework that’s asborbing. Continue reading “Hippotraktor – Stasis (Review)”

Dvne – Voidkind (Review)

Dvne are a progressive post-metal band from the UK and this is their third album.

I fell hard for Dvne on their 2017 album Asheran, which they then followed up in 2021 with the critically acclaimed Etemen Ænka. Which brings us to the much-anticipated Voidkind, an album that boasts 58 minutes of new material. Continue reading “Dvne – Voidkind (Review)”

Tesseract – War of Being (Review)

Tesseract are a UK progressive metal band and this is their fifth album.

This is my first time listening to Tesseract since their debut EP Concealing Fate back in 2010, (which appears to be one of my earliest reviews too). It seems that the band have developed and evolved very nicely since their humble djent-injected beginnings, and new record War of Being is leagues ahead of the material on that release. It seems I have some catching up to do at some point. Continue reading “Tesseract – War of Being (Review)”

The Gorge – Mechanical Fiction (Review)

This is the third album from US progressive metallers The Gorge.

Mechanical Fiction contains 45 minutes of modern, heavy music. The Gorge are an interesting band, in that they are ostensibly a band you’d give the tags of progressive metal and technical metal too, but they also incorporate avant-garde and jazz elements into their style, as well as having an underpinning hardcore/sludge influence that’s formative. Continue reading “The Gorge – Mechanical Fiction (Review)”

Mairu – Sol Cultus (Review)

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

Sol Cultus brings together post-metal, sludge, and doom into a 49-minute feast of atmospheric heavy music. Mairu’s vision is a mood-rich immersive one, and Sol Cultus achieves their lofty ambitions. Continue reading “Mairu – Sol Cultus (Review)”

Breaths – Floruit (Review)

This is the third album from US one-man post-metal band Breaths.

Having really enjoyed 2022’s Though Life Has Turned out Nothing Like I Imagined, It Is Far Better Than I Could Have Dreamt, I knew I wanted to check out what Flotuit had to offer. This new album might have a much shorter title, but has a lot longer duration at 65 minutes. Has this extra time been well spent? Continue reading “Breaths – Floruit (Review)”

The Anchoret – It All Began with Loneliness (Review)

The Anchoret are a Canadian progressive metal band and this is their debut album.

The Anchoret play a multifaceted brand of progressive metal that takes in aspects of progressive rock and a touch of extreme metal. This has resulted in an album that has plenty of impactful content to instantly appeal, but can also draw the listener back in over time. For a very rough starting point, think a combination of parts of bands such as Karnivool, Between the Buried and Me, Sermon, David Bowie, Dream Theater, Opeth, Queen, The Ocean, Dawnwalker, Ihsahn, and Rush. Continue reading “The Anchoret – It All Began with Loneliness (Review)”

The Ocean – Holocene (Review)

This is the tenth album from German progressive metal band The Ocean.

After the colossally good Phanerozoic I: Palaeozoic and Phanerozoic II: Mesozoic | Cenozoic from 2018 and 2020 respectively, can The Ocean continue their run of stellar records with new outing Holocene? Continue reading “The Ocean – Holocene (Review)”

Moonreich – Amer (Review)

This is the fifth album from Moonreich, a French black metal band.

Moonreich’s aggressive brand of modern black metal is always good to hear. Following on from 2018’s Fugue and 2019’s Wormgod, Amer contains 43 minutes of new material from this enjoyable band. Continue reading “Moonreich – Amer (Review)”