July 2025 – Page 2 – Metal Eclipse Reviews

Proscription – Desolate Divine

Metalcatto

Alright, I’ll tell you something superficial — and I’m not proud of it, but it’s the truth. I had several earlier promos to check out, but I saw Proscription‘s Desolate Divine and its absolutely astonishing cover art and said, “Screw merits and fairness, this thing looks evil!” That kind of aesthetic confidence is hard to resist. Still, you always have to be cautious with artwork that looks too convincing, especially when it comes to Blackened Death Metal. You risk overindulging and ending up sick the whole trip home (which I’m actively trying to avoid during this vacation).

Guitar solos to break you and heal you part 3

Vicky

You’ve probably been waiting for my take on guitar solos, so here it is — but first, a quick intro. My musical taste spans from Pop Rock and Indie to Brutal Death and Black Metal, and my picks reflect that range, though I’ve kept the Black Metal to a minimum (I know not everyone’s a Burzum or Darkthrone fan). I could ramble endlessly about what makes a great solo—or why “Nymphetamine Overdose” by Cradle of Filth and Liv Kristine is, in my view, a more refined take on Symphonic Gothic/Black Metal than “Nymphetamine Fix”—but I’ll spare you the tangents and get straight to the list.

Malformed – Confinement of Flesh

Metalcatto

It’s been a while since we’ve reviewed some good old school Death Metal. Honestly, after everything that happened in 2024, I’ve gotten dangerously close to becoming a hater. It’s just hard to stay excited when the scene feels so oversaturated. Still, despite the genre fatigue, new bands continue to dive into the old school trenches like it’s 1992 all over again. One of these brave souls is Malformed, who arrive with the debut Confinement of Flesh. This record is supposed to bring something fresh to the table, but you’ll have to excuse my skepticism — I’ve heard that before.

The Medea Project – Kharon

Ixone

Oh good lord, what have I even gotten myself into? One bizarre mention of influences and I’m on a cruise down the river Styx… absolutely brilliant! The Medea Project have come forward and delivered what I can only describe as an absolute Doom Metal oddball; a fascinating one, yes, but an oddball nevertheless. Crushing, eerie and disjointed are only a few of the myriad of adjectives that come to mind when listening to Kharon (the river Styx mention wasn’t actually pointless), brought forth by both the music and the adjacent elements, such as the stunning cover artwork. That being said, I shall leave the introduction as it is and actually do what I am supposed to.

Floating – Hesitating Lights

Metalcatto

Let me say something straight: I meant to review this way earlier, but life (and summer holidays) got in the way. Even after the delay, I couldn’t bring myself to ignore Floating. A band claiming to mix Death Metal with Post-Punk? That doesn’t happen every day. I needed to hear it to believe it! Hesitating Lights might just be that weird record that ends up on the “best genre fusion” list by the end of the year. Or am I being overly optimistic? Is it too soon? I don’t know—but let’s get to work, ok?

Grimovetust – Gates To Heptagon Tower

Ixone

It’s high time I leave aside any sort of thought that indicates that I know what I’m doing and just admit that this album left me scratching my head quite a lot. Having bothered to look into the background of Grimovetust before diving into Gates To Heptagon Tower I was certain that I was in for a scratchy, raw record with the most amount of grit possible. That being said, one can only imagine my surprise when the first thing I heard was a rather triumphant synth intro, soon followed by a reverb enhanced, fairly melodic piece of music, closer in sound to First Spell rather than A Blaze in the Northern Sky. At that point I was certain that I was about to have several grapes with this record, but something seemed hellbent on telling me otherwise…

Abigail Williams – A Void Within Existence

Stargazer Scholar

I like it when bands take their time between records. Longer breaks leave the audience with a fair chance of truly understanding the artist’s vision, while the artists themselves are given plenty of time to evolve and produce their finest work without having to rush it. OK, I know that this view is somewhat idyllic, as it ignores label pressure and other natural constraints, but lo and behold, here’s our case in point. The trajectory of Abigail Williams is exemplary in that regard. As the gaps between the band’s output seem to grow, the music itself is becoming increasingly mature and compelling. We had six years at our disposal to imbibe, dissect and revisit the gripping Walk beyond the Dark, and now here we are with A Void Within Existence, the cover art shocking with its gloomy detachment, the title oozing pain, and the music… Well. let’s explore.

Mouth of Madness – Event Horizon

Metalcatto

t’s been a while since I looked into a German band that wasn’t making some weird and sad Post/Black. Mouth of Madness is hard to define. Sometimes it feels like a Black/Thrash band, and other times like dirty Death Metal. What I’m sure of is that Event Horizon isn’t an album that’s going to leave anyone indifferent. The band might have been quiet for a long time, but this new release is clearly aiming to put them back on the map. Time to unfairly judge whether it succeeds—or if it’s just talking crazy (see what I did there? Don’t hit me!).

True kvlt: Vyr Muk, Electrocutioner & Obšar

Metalcatto

It’s that time of the week again, when I take the most polite emails I’ve got and give them a few words of encouragement—and maybe some constructive feedback—because we all know most readers are feeling down and miserable, so why should I kick them even more? Okay, okay, enough of getting personal, let’s get to it!

The Bleak Picture – Shades of Life

Pegah

“Where there is sorrow, there is holy ground“

Oscar Wilde