July 2024 – Metal Eclipse Reviews

Concrete Winds – Concrete Winds

Concrete Winds is a strange name for a band. It even feels like an immediate contradiction. Perhaps that was the plan all along because the band’s sound is absolute musical debauchery. It’s as if you take The Dillinger Escape Plan and Pyrrhon. So, you know this is going to be unbearable for 99.9% of the human population, but you’re not normal. You’re a freak of nature who enjoys discovering the most extreme music that hell can provide, which is why Concrete Winds might offer something for you, lunatic. Time to find out!

Cosmic Jaguar – El Era del Jaguar

An album like this usually goes straight to the True Kvlt section. It came late, with no promo and little clout (plus the title is missing an accent mark in Él, that’s how pedantic we can be at MER). However, I was also puzzled by how strange all its elements were. We’re talking about a Tech Death mixed with Aztec Folk Metal band, from Ukraine, with lyrics in English and Spanish. It can’t get weirder than this. I had to listen to it to believe it. Could Cosmic Jaguar‘s El Era del Jaguar join our small group of year-end deep underground revelations?

Wolfheart – Draconian Darkness

It’s time to come clean. I’m a Saukkonen superfan. I think he’s Finland’s response to Dan Swanö, so you can imagine my level of respect for the man. Ever since I heard Deathstar Rising, I’ve enjoyed each one of his projects. However, I won’t lie, it’s been a while since Wolfheart blew me away (like making me so excited that I’d forget to take my meds). Don’t get me wrong, I’ve enjoyed almost everything this project has shown us, but I’ve been longing for some change. There’s so much more this formula has to offer. Can Draconian Darkness be the renewal the band needs?

True kvlt: Barzakh, Glass Coffin, Aldorfrea, Mindistry

Destiny has decided that this week’s True Kvlt becomes a blend of mostly underground Black and Death Metal straight from the cave. Lately, we’ve had too much beauty and cleanliness in this section, so it was about time things got nasty again. Join us on this quick trip to the basement.

Fourth Dominion – Diana’s Day

Alright, let’s get something out of the way: when I read that Fourth Dominion was a “Deathwave” band, I asked myself, “What the fudge is that?” and proceeded to complain to my latest underpaid intern about how every band wants to have its own label these days. However, the intern convinced me to try something different from what we usually review at MER. For once, I’ll listen to them without threatening to fire anyone. Diana’s Day isn’t our usual review, but that’s what we came for, right? To try new things, not just to reinforce our biases (oh sorry! You just came for comfort? Well, grow up, kid!). Let’s start!

Retro-Review: Gojira- From Mars to Sirius

Welcome to Retro-Reviews, a space where I indulge in my own nostalgic reveries, reminiscing about a time that never truly existed, but one that I’ve crafted through various random albums that hold significance for me. Whether good or bad, one thing is certain: remembering can be a bittersweet journey.

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Carnophage -Matter of a Darker Nature

Brutal and Technical Death Metal—those words should excite me, but in reality, we drown in promos claiming to be more savage than the last. So, when the “legendary” Carnophage dropped Matter of a Darker Nature, I thought, “Oh wow! That’s a cool cover art,” and that was that. However, I found the time to put my prejudices aside (as all of you should in life) and decided to give this dreadful creature a chance to smash me to pieces. Yay!

Tryaels Ascension – Hell Walker

Good day, my children! I know you’re tired of the “today we have something different blah blah blah” and then I proceed to name something sadly generic, but today that’s not the case! We have a Metal video game OST (Original Sound Track). It’s Tryael’s Ascension – Hell Walker. Honestly, I didn’t know what to expect. Reviewing a full album is one thing, but an album meant to enhance a video game experience is another. Let’s hope it sounds nearly as good as the cover art looks. Anyway, let’s dive in!

Grid – The World Before Us

You’ve heard about space Black Metal, you’ve heard about space Death Metal, even about cosmic Thrash. I guess it was about time we started hearing something about space Post-Metal. Yes, it finally happened: space has become a theme for deconstruction. Grid is volunteering to offer us an epic journey into our own interstellar origins, which already sounds refreshing, but can The World Before Us stand out in this vast universe filled with indifference? That’s what we’re here to find out!

Svartelder – Trenches

When I read a promo that says “traditional Norwegian Black Metal,” my face is an iceberg that shows no emotion. If there’s one sub-genre more beaten to death than Power Metal, it’s old school Black Metal. However, Svartelder has such a cool name that I thought giving Trenches a chance would be the least I could do after months of hopelessness. This is a band with a respectable catalog, so you can’t blame me for wanting to believe! Let’s dive into the darkness!