This is the third album from US doom/post-metal band Aequorea.
Spread out over five engaging tracks, Departure is a 41-minute amalgamation of doom, post-metal, sludge, and blackened elements. This is my first encounter with Aequorea, but they make a good impression. Continue reading “Aequorea – Departure (Review)”
This is the debut album from Quiet Man, a doom/sludge band from the US who were formerly known as God Root.
Across 50 minutes Quiet Man bring an apocalyptic vision of darkness and extinction to the listener, rubbing their face into the contemporary horrors of existence as they unleash their wide-ranging sonic nightmarescapes. Continue reading “Quiet Man – The Starving Lesson (Review)”
This is the fourth album from US doom band Usnea.
After loving 2014’s Random Cosmic Violence and 2017’s Portals into Futility, I am so completely ready for a new Usnea album. Bathed in Light brings us not only their shortest album yet at 43 minutes, but also many of their shortest songs. What does this mean for the Usnea we know and adore? Continue reading “Usnea – Bathed in Light (Review)”
Doubtsower is a one-man Welsh doom metal band and this is his second album.
Ahh, the return of Doubtsower. 2021’s Asphyxiation of a Seasick Soul was an unexpected highlight of that year, and although I was surprised to find a new album available so soon, I’m nonetheless pleased by this unlooked for treat. Once again delivering five tracks of emotive doom metal across 49 minutes, the artist behind Doubtsower continues to produce the very definition of underground gems. Continue reading “Doubtsower – The Endless Shadow of Despicable Power (Review)”
This is the debut album from Danish post-metal band Offernat.
Offernat play a hybrid form of music that blends black, progressive, doom, and post-metal elements together into four mammoth songs. Continue reading “Offernat – All Colours Retract (Review)”
Doubtsower is a one-man Welsh doom metal band and this is his debut album.
The songs on Asphyxiation of a Seasick Soul are a collection of impactful doom songs that wield deft emotion alongside crushing riffs. The music is crafted from a form of doom metal that also uses elements from post-metal and post-rock, making for a textured, richly nuanced listening experience. For an initial comparison, think of a mix of Usnea and Isis, with a bit of Yob thrown in, and you’ll get the general idea. Continue reading “Doubtsower – Asphyxiation of a Seasick Soul (Review)”
This is the debut album from Atramentus, a doom metal band from Canada.
Stygian is a monster of dark funeral doom. Three tracks sprawl out over 45 minutes, promising nothing but glacial moods and barren hopelessness, and delivering. There are two colossal songs that bookend a shorter ambient piece. Continue reading “Atramentus – Stygian (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”
Usnea are a doom band from the US and this is their third release.
I must confess a deep love for Usnea at this point; all of their previous work thus far has been stunning, (check out Random Cosmic Violence and their split with Ruins as just a couple of examples. It’s also no surprise that they made it onto my best of 2014 end of year list). Continue reading “Usnea – Portals into Futility (Review)”
Owlcrusher are a blackened doom/sludge band from the UK and this is their debut album.
Here we have some truly ugly, colossally heavy music, the likes of which you don’t stumble upon too often. Which, for the listener’s sanity and well-being, is probably a good thing. Continue reading “Owlcrusher – Owlcrusher (Review)”
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