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Vessels – Perpetual Chasm of Black Mirrors: If Cradle of Filth decided to merge Black Metal with Deathcore, it would probably sound like this. It’s horror-themed music packed with sharp transitions, dramatic orchestral undertones, and a loud, polished production that blurs the genre lines entirely. Yet one thing is unmistakable—Vessels puts real work into their craft. This isn’t a half-baked underground release; it has the sonic weight and clarity of a big-budget extreme metal production. If you like your crushing riffs drenched in terror and theatrical menace, this track delivers exactly that, balancing brutality with a cinematic edge.
Souls of Sorrow – House of the Ghosts: We stay in spooky territory, but this time we descend into full-on Gothic Metal, something in the vein of Lord of the Lost—but better executed. The track leans into edgy vocals, gloomy atmosphere, and those nostalgic choruses that instantly pull you back to a slightly campy, early-2000s darkness. The synths have no right to work as well as they do, yet they elevate the track’s haunting vibe. Still, Souls of Sorrow doesn’t abandon heaviness; the riffs occasionally dive into more extreme territory to keep things grounded. Halloween may be gone, but if you miss it already, this track scratches the itch with style.
Desu Taem – PTSD Names & Skull and Crossbones: These guys remain some of our most loyal sponsors, so the shout-outs continue—and they’ve earned them. PTSD Names is a semi-Thrash piece built around the bizarre concept of people cursed with terrible names, a metal subject so strange I couldn’t ignore it even if I tried. In total stylistic contrast, Skull and Crossbones still carries Thrash DNA but feels like a surprisingly accessible take on Viking Metal—melodic, punchy, and mercifully free of the sloppy production that usually plagues the genre. With Desu Taem, the only constant is that you’ll get something retro, catchy, and digestible. Which subgenre they’ll pick next remains a mystery, and honestly, that’s part of the charm.
Chaos Over Cosmos – The Hypercosmic Paradox: I wanted to do a full review of this album, but as always, the end-of-year chaos in review land derailed that plan. Still, as the name promises, this is a release built on sheer musical ambition and technical prowess. Chaos Over Cosmos tears through the cosmos with relentless shredding and intricate instrumental arrangements, creating a soundscape that feels truly extraterrestrial. Constantly active and dynamic, albums like this can easily overstay their welcome, but The Hypercosmic Paradox avoids that trap by keeping everything tight, focused, and purposeful. If you live for wild guitar work and space-faring virtuosity, this won’t hurt you—in fact, it might be exactly what you’ve been looking for.
Metal Eclipse Reviews 