Here are the releases that are either coming out soon or have just been released. They almost slipped through the cracks, but thanks to my persistence and the relentless nagging of my new interns, they get at least a few words today. I must emphasize, these are underground releases, so be a responsible Metalhead and do your part by sharing, buying, shouting about them, or whatever people do these days to get attention.
Gurkkhas – A Life of Suffering: Fun fact: the name of this band sounds like the Swedish word for “cucumber.” However, there’s nothing cute or watery about A Life of Suffering. It’s Brutal Death Metal that reminds me a bit of Krisiun, in the sense that it just smashes you with a hammer for 40+ minutes with complete disregard for your actual needs. I have mixed feelings about this album. On one hand, it’s consistent and delivers slash after slash with no hesitation. It doesn’t try to be fancy or elaborate. On the other hand, it follows a formula and the production is a wall of noise. Maybe that gets you salivating, but in my case, it risks causing hearing loss in the long run. Still, France has great extreme Metal and though the competition is fierce, trying a few minutes of A Life of Suffering won’t hurt you! Label: Great Dane Recs. Release date: 12 July, 2024. Website: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61556702810152.Country: France.
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Gorgonchrist – And Justice for Balls: I won’t lie, the level of edge in this title and album concept had me on the fence about even trying this album. Luckily, I became a reviewer partly to battle my own musical prejudices. And Justice for Balls is an idiosyncratic combination of Death/Thrash Metal, Hardcore, and Punk. It’s a great portrayal of the decadence of our modern times (every era has its own decadence). It’s dirty and harsh, but I enjoy how direct the ideas in every track are. Honestly, I enjoyed it way more than expected. Even if I would have liked a bit more complexity, I understand this isn’t supposed to become Post-something. Still, I think Gorgonchrist has the chops to pull that off. Label: Self-released. Release date: 12 July, 2024. Website:https://www.facebook.com/gorgonchrist. Country: UK.
Humanity Defiled – Deficient Breed: I’ll start with the positives here. I like how this album is produced. It doesn’t feel too loud, but neither too polished. It perfectly fits this Death Metal with groove that, though it could fit any Swedish Death Metal band, is darker and more decadent here. Now, the things that made me scratch my head: I would’ve liked more variety. This thing is dark, as in it stays in one mode and rarely changes. Plus, the lyrical content is too ambiguous for my taste. I think it could be easily misinterpreted and get Humanity Defiled in trouble, but then I doubt it cares. Sick solos though! They push that oppressive atmosphere so well! Label: Self-released. Release date: 31 May, 2024. Website: https://www.facebook.com/humanitydefiled. Country: Belgium.
Arx Atrata – A Reckoning: I understand that when you hear a project is a one-man atmospheric Black Metal band, you might worry about falling asleep in less than 10 minutes. Fortunately, Arx Atrata is an exception. It’s engaging enough to keep you entranced for its entire duration and has an organic production that is neither too filthy nor too clean for the style. If you like Falls of Rauros but can’t get into their earliest material (like me!), then this is a more approachable choice. It’s full of bleak and reflective moments. Sure, there’s aggression, but it takes a secondary spot. Melancholy is the protagonist of this journey. It’s long though; that’s still a thing bands in this sub-genre seem to love more than tremolo picking. Label: Self-released. Website:https://www.facebook.com/ArxAtrata/ . Release date: 5 July, 2024. Country: UK.
There it is! Bands from the depths of our promo list. Go check them out! I can’t promise you’ll like them, but what better way to brag and gatekeep in front of your friends (if you have any) than dropping tons of random and obscure band names? I’ve given you the tool; time to use it for evil, of course!
Metal Eclipse Reviews 