Wonderbox Metal End of Year List – Best Metal of 2023

Welcome to my annual attempt to make sense of the ridiculous amount of good metal albums out there, awaiting discovery by intrepid metal explorers.

2023’s best of list has been one of the more difficult ones to put together, placing-wise, which is one of the reasons that I’m posting it later than I usually do. Even more so than normal many of the slots are interchangeable, and I especially struggled with positions two-nine – if such a thing were possible, they all deserve to be higher! In the end I decided to stop overthinking it and go with my gut, but the usual caveat of these lists being very subjective and subject to change depending on mood, feelings, etc. is larger than normal here.

There are some notable acts missing form the below. Not because they’re not worthy of inclusion, but because there are only so many spaces to be had. In fact, I almost ended up limiting this list to 20, rather than the now-customary 30, as I found it really difficult to know who to include and who not to. In the end I went with the standard 30 so that I could promote a few extra bands, as they absolutely all deserve it.

As for the top position, I wasn’t expecting it to be filled by a band I’d never heard before, playing a style that I don’t listen to as much as I used to. However, I suppose after last year, I shouldn’t have been too surprised.

I do hope you enjoy this list and find some new music to obsess over. Like always, thanks for your support if you have ever visited this site before, and here’s to a great 2024 for as many of us as possible. Continue reading “Wonderbox Metal End of Year List – Best Metal of 2023”

Tomb Mold – The Enduring Spirit (Review)

Tomb Mold - The Enduring SpiritThis is the fourth album from Canadian death metallers Tomb Mold.

Following on from 2018’s Manor of Infinite Forms and 2019’s Planetary Clairvoyance, comes The Enduring Spirit; 43 minutes of eagerly awaited material from an extremely well-regarded band. Continue reading “Tomb Mold – The Enduring Spirit (Review)”

Ulthar – Anthronomicon (Review)

Ulthar - AnthronomiconAnthronomicon and Helionomicon are the third and fourth albums from US death metallers Ulthar, following on from 202o’s Providence. Released on the same date, this review will cover Anthronomicon – see the review for Helionomicon here. Continue reading “Ulthar – Anthronomicon (Review)”

Ulthar – Helionomicon (Review)

Ulthar - HelionomiconAnthronomicon and Helionomicon are the third and fourth albums from US death metallers Ulthar, following on from 202o’s Providence. Released on the same date, this review will cover Helionomicon –  see the review for Anthronomicon here. Continue reading “Ulthar – Helionomicon (Review)”

Headshrinker – Callous Indifference (Review)

Headshrinker - Callous IndifferenceHeadshrinker are a death metal band from the US and this is their debut album.

Headshrinker play old-school death metal that incorporates in varying doses, crushing doom, dark black metal, and intricate technicality. Theirs is an atypical approach to death metal, yet one that still benefits from the raw visceral nature of the style. Imagine a cross between Tomb Mold and Ulthar on one hand, and Pyrrhon and Imperial Triumphant on the other, and you’ll be on the right lines for a decent idea of what this album’s 38 minutes hold. Continue reading “Headshrinker – Callous Indifference (Review)”

Wonderbox Metal End of Year List – Best Metal of 2020

Almost every year I think about how challenging it is to compile a definitive best of list, and how subjective it is, etc. Although that’s still true for this collecting of albums, this year, however, has been easier than most. 2020 has been heavy on the black metal for me. It’s been my most reviewed genre, in all its myriad permutations, and this is reflected in the below list.

For the longest of times the bands in positions 5 and 6 vied for top position, but then October and November happened. All of a sudden, unexpectedly, these two months unleashed a wealth of quality, and stole the top four positions in a rampant display of blackened supremacy.

I hope you enjoy the below recommendations of mine and find something new to obsess over. Let me know how you get on.

Let’s dig in… Continue reading “Wonderbox Metal End of Year List – Best Metal of 2020”

Monthly Overview – the Best of June 2020

No preamble this month, let’s just get right down to it… Continue reading “Monthly Overview – the Best of June 2020”

Ulthar – Providence (Review)

Ulthar - ProvidenceUlthar are a death metal band from the US and this is their second album.

Brought to us by current and ex-members of bands such as Vale, Void Omnia, Tombs, and Vastum, (and others), there’s a wealth of experience in this band. They also have a well-regarded debut album, which I somehow overlooked. On Continue reading “Ulthar – Providence (Review)”