Suffering so you don't have to!
Metalcatto
We cover next to no splits at MER. That’s not totally out of spite, but it’s taken a long time to find one that’s both long and fun enough to write about. So here comes Illusory Dissolvents, mixing up Sleep Paralysis, Aoecist, and Light Dweller. One heavier and more twisted than the other, I know! But can they all work together in a way that fits? Or am I going to feel like someone threw a dead cod in my chocolate pudding? Time to find out if my faith in splits should be restored.
Metalcatto
Yes, I know I’m late for this one, but I was stuck on the other side of the bridge trying to survive those Danish prices. Revocation needs no introduction — is there any band that can bend the rules of guitar playing more than this one? Still, I have an awkward confession: I’ve always struggled to return to its material since Deathless. The quality has always been unmatched, but something about it hadn’t fully clicked with me for a long time. Could New Gods, New Masters finally revoke my skepticism? Ha! That’s probably my worst pun yet.
Metalcatto
You know the drill already. Kill or be killed, let’s go!
Milo Lane
Greetings, good folk — the prodigal son has returned, and he brings with him an offering worthy of reconciliation. (I swear.) It is Voragoth‘s debut Storm, Obey No Masters! This album found its way to my ears like a messenger from a long-forgotten land, and I cannot help but feel a deep pride for it. It carries more than just music — it carries the weight of folk spirit, of voices joined in comradery, of bonds forged through thousands of years of struggle and memory. Listening feels less like pressing a button that says ‘play’ and more like sitting in a circle where every voice matters, where melody itself is an entity, and a friend.
Metalcatto
When you see artwork like the one in Umulamahri’s Learning the Secrets of Acid, you might start wondering just how hard your face is about to melt. Will you even feel anything by the end? Calling this project Avant-Garde Disso-Death is almost an understatement. Its sinister and experimental nature promises a lot, especially since the minds behind it are masters of their craft. Now that I’ve set your expectations sky high, it’s time for this album to crush you, devour your carcass, and show us exactly what kind of secrets this substance holds.
Elyna Kahn
It’s a pleasure to discover the depth of some Power Metal bands, whose musical fabric is composed of several layers, textures, nuances, and endearing sonorities. Tales of Destiny is a great example of a band that makes power metal not only a familiar experience, but a significantly deep and emotional one. Born in a small town in Quebec, the band emerged when five young teenagers came together to bring a musical dream to life. Feeling the call of metal and inspired by legends such as Iron Maiden, Iced Earth, and Children of Bodom, they managed to find their own sound, full of fury, passion, and conviction.
Metalcatto
Let’s return to the underground and pick up something unconventional, and by that I mean Arson Charge’s A Dying Light. Not every day do I get an album that sounds like a car crash between Thrash, Industrial, and even Nu-Metal. The real question is: are there any survivors of this massive collision? That’s what I’m here for—to take the bullets you’re too busy to take. Can this band impress us, or will it just make us scratch our heads? Honestly, I didn’t know what to expect just by looking at the artwork. Nothing wrong with it, but what does it make you feel? Maybe I don’t want to know. Let’s go!
Metalcatto
When you’re a band like Paradise Lost, one that redefined a subgenre and balanced its deep emotional side with relative commercial success, it’s hard to surprise the world. And yet, the band has managed to do that time and time again. I honestly can’t remember the last time it released anything below a 3.5/5 in my book. Ascension has the impossible task of proving that the band still has the resilience and creativity to deliver top-quality Doom Metal. For once, I have faith in these guys—and can you blame me?
Metalcatto
Fun isn’t usually my thing. In fact, this review is only happening because Metalkitten (my three-year-old) saw dinosaurs and lasers in Ültra Raptör‘s promo and said, “that one has dinos in, so it’s cool.” With such crushing logic used against me, I had no option but to comply and give this Speed/Heavy Metal ride a chance to prove that it could be more than silly entertainment for the late afternoon. You see? I might be old now, but I still listen to the youth here and there.
Metalcatto
I guess it’s time for us to get really folky! Vintersorg is back, and there aren’t many bands in the Black/Folk/Prog world that have managed to keep such a unique blend alive without turning into a parody of themselves. Vattenkrafternas Spel has the complex task of continuing the almost perfect run the band has maintained for so long. Also, I couldn’t find confirmation in the promo material, but wouldn’t this be the end of the elemental tetralogy? I mean, water was the only one missing, so it would make sense! I’ll admit it—I’m a sucker for long and high-risk conceptual endeavors.
Metal Eclipse Reviews 