Unverkalt – Héréditaire

Metalcatto

Unverkalt knows exactly how to grab my attention. A Post-Metal release on Season of Mist, with a German/Greek background and a French title like Héréditaire? That’s basically a checklist designed to lure me in. It sounds refined, a bit pretentious, and unapologetically artsy—and yes, I’m fully on board with that. So forgive me in advance if my expectations run slightly ahead of what an underground act can realistically deliver, but that’s what happens when the promo does its job well. Either way, let’s see how long it takes before we spiral into existential despair again.

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Malignant Aura – Where All of Worth Comes to Wither

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Rarely has a band name been so accurate in describing the atmosphere it creates as Malignant Aura. From the very first moments, the music lives up to that promise, radiating a suffocating, almost inhuman presence that feels carefully engineered rather than accidental. One could imagine this being the sound of ancient entities waking up, though filtered less through Lovecraftian myth and more through a modern Progressive/Death Metal lens. Even before pressing play, Where All of Worth Comes to Wither sets the tone with a title that feels relentlessly bleak, practically daring the listener to engage with it on its own terms.

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Obscurity – Ascheregen

Metalcatto

Obscurity has a long career, and I probably should’ve realized that sooner just by looking at the name. Seriously, how did nobody take it before? Anyway, Ascheregen is clearly meant to make us feel the pain and destruction of the world. Very uplifting stuff. That said, the album has a noticeable blend of death and post-metal elements that give it a more emotional edge than you might expect. On paper, that combination should work for me, and in practice… well, I genuinely wondered what the worst that could happen was. Turns out, not much in a bad way.

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Edenbridge – Set the Dark on Fire

Metalcatto

Edenbridge would be the kind of band Elyna would normally cover, but she’s on vacation, so you’ll have to settle for my snarky takes in the meantime. The big question from the start was simple enough: what can Set the Dark on Fire add to an already long and fairly successful career? I’m not sure the answer is entirely straightforward, but I’ll do my best to help with some balanced and absolutely not hateful commentary… who am I kidding? This is Power Metal, after all.

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Mors Verum – Canvas

Metalcatto

You know I have a soft spot for anything that mixes Prog and Death in the same sentence. What can I say? I like my bands to starve. So when Mors Verum came to me like a fart in the wind, I knew I had to smell it properly. Enough disgusting and childish jokes, though; what we really want to know is whether Canvas is worth your money, or at least your almost non-existent attention. Let’s get this horror started.

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From Classical Music, to Metal, and Beyond – Interview with Thomas Vikström (Therion)

Vicky

As a Symphonic Metal enthusiast, my heart is overfilled with joy when I tell you that I have recently spoken with Thomas Vikström (whom I must thank once again for this opportunity!), Therion’s talented lead vocalist, about his entire career, and numerous preferences, including his beverage of choice, and a top 20 songs he currently loves. Enjoy reading this interview and don’t forget to get back to us with some feedback.

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Ellende – Zerfall

Metalcatto

I’m late to this party again, but here we are: a new Ellende album exists, and that alone means we can’t just let it pass unnoticed. The band has been delivering stunning Post/Black Metal for years now, to the point where having an opinion on a new release isn’t just advisable, it feels almost mandatory. I also happened to see that one of the band members (L.G.) defended his PhD not long ago, which honestly explains a lot. Suddenly, the sheer emotional devastation of this record makes complete sense. Ellende, if you’re reading this, I’d love to say the academic pain is over, but judging by Zerfall, it has merely transformed into sound.

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Shadowmass -Wasteland

Metalcatto

I guess I should stop giving chances only to the big fish and actually start caring more about the tiny ones, even if that comes with fewer views and less immediate payoff. After all, we mostly don’t do this for the money, right? Anyway, Shadowmass deliver a Thrash Metal record with Wasteland that at least promises not to be completely derivative. Let’s say they don’t… waste our time (don’t hit me for the pun). There’s a clear sense of intent here! Let’s go!

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