Metalcatto
Sometimes, I get to review the weirdest things, and by that, I mean something like Negative Agent’s Terminal Days—an Industrial Metal album steeped in Cyberpunk aesthetics and antifascist politics. This is genuinely underground material, but it arrived with a strong personal recommendation from musicians whom we deeply respect here at MER. Trusting that instinct, I decided to give this electronic assault a fair chance, even though it checks almost none of the boxes on my usual stylistic checklist. There are moments when one simply craves to be surprised, and this seemed like the perfect opportunity.
Okay, I must admit I didn’t expect Terminal Days to feel like such a deliberate love letter to the classic, stomping grooves of early Rammstein albums (what, you thought we never looked beyond the deepest depths of the obscure underground?). The electronic elements are more pronounced and layered here, crafting a distinctly futuristic, neon-drenched atmosphere. Yet, the humble, straightforward, and driving guitar riff remains the unwavering backbone of nearly every track, a foundation so quintessential it truly can’t get more classically Industrial than that. However, I wouldn’t characterize the album as particularly decadent or brutally mechanized in the vein of Fear Factory; instead, it carries a more immediate, almost accessible commercial appeal within its heavy framework.
The repetitive, oppressive nature of the music effectively conjures the sensation of a relentless boot crushing the face of humanity—a fitting aesthetic for its thematic content. It might not be the heaviest album in your collection; the vocals are quite digestible, potentially even for the biggest poser in your friend group. Yours truly can enjoy a barrage of middle fingers aimed at our current era, where fantasies of authoritarian rule seem to be en vogue. But now, we must address the less stellar parts!
Alright, I’ve already established this isn’t my usual jam and that the effort required for me to engage with it is higher than the willpower you muster to get out of bed on a Monday. But, jeez, the tracks feel long. “But Catto,” you might say, “nothing here is longer than five minutes!” True, my little grasshopper, but you are essentially pedaling danceable, groove-laden Metal. In this realm, ideas should ideally stick to the three-to-four-minute mark for maximum impact. The extended runtime on several songs risks diluting the primal, rhythmic punch that makes this work. Furthermore, while the album establishes a solid groove, I consistently felt it had room to push into more distorted, and punishing territory. The production is clean and the riffs are present, but a layer of sheer sonic weight feels missing.
Even with my reservations, we must acknowledge that genuinely well-constructed Industrial Metal is a rarity these days. I somehow found myself more captivated by the album’s unapologetically political themes and cohesive dystopian vision than by any single musical passage. In that sense, Terminal Days offers something authentic and purposefully controversial, which is always valuable. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got to go help the resistance—before the secret organisms come to confiscate my daily ration of canned potatoes.
Label: Independent
Release date: April 8, 2026
Website: https://ampwall.com/a/negativeagent/album/terminaldays
Country: USA
Score: 3.0/5.0
Metal Eclipse Reviews 