Suffering so you don't have to!
Metalcatto
It’s not every day we see something that claims to blend Post, Sludge, and even Prog elements to a level that makes me think Tooms – Karst (short words, I love it) is going to bring us excellent work or just something that will give us a depressing realization that nothing really matters in this cruel world devoid of mercy or fairness. Maybe I took that last part too far and ended up projecting some stuff, but let’s return to the Metal then. Shall we begin?
Metalcatto
Marketing is an extremely underrated skill in the Metalsphere, especially when it’s done in an enigmatic way. Would you be able to ignore an Indonesian Post-Metal band named after a controversial German philosopher? Why? That was the first question I had as I giggled and expected Heidegger’s Tyrant to not be as serious and hopefully not as pretentious as Sein und Zeit. It won’t be as obscure—that would be impossible, right?
Metalcatto
It’s our birthday, so let’s indulge ourselves!
Metalcatto
You wouldn’t be crazy to think that Blood Countess has a blood fetish. I mean, the album is called Imperatrix Sanguinus. Wasn’t it easier to just use a self-title? It’s also obvious there’s some infatuation with royalty. Anyway, if you haven’t noticed already, this is an old school Black Metal album that promises everything the style represents, and yet I’m cautious as usual.
Metalcatto
Look at that awesome artwork. Doesn’t it make you wonder why almost nobody is willing to make Black-Doom? Is it even possible to make slow Black Metal? I don’t know, but here is Atlantic Ridge with their album Atlantic Ridge (how creative!). It’s a record trying to defy expectations. At this point in my life, I don’t have any. Hopefully, all the challenges come from a band ready to take down my prejudices.
Metalcatto
I see the album has five tracks and almost nothing below the five-minute mark. I started sweating, because when a band is this into length, there are only two ways to go: a blast or a bust. Angellore‘s Nocturnes has no easy task to fulfill. It’s going to be hard to make the time count, but that’s why you’re here—to see if you can find that hidden gem, right?
Metalcatto
You know what we haven’t done in a while? Reviewed some Black N’ Roll. Granted, it’s not the most common release in the mailbox, but that only made me more curious about what Wrang‘s Verwording had to offer. Will it be more static noise, or will it give us a great ride into tribulation? I assume it’s about the sea this time, because my Dutch is at a coma patient level. So let’s start.
Metalcatto
This review is dedicated to Patrick, one of our patrons. It was his pick. Thanks.
The year is 2005. Hurricane Katrina ravages New Orleans. London suffers a horrible terrorist attack. YouTube is launched. So is the Xbox 360. Yes. Right, the Metal. I almost forgot. It was an insanely strong year, to be fair. Something like a silver age, with Nile, Opeth, Arch Enemy, and Pelican releasing timeless classics. But today we’re going to talk about a criminally underrated gem: Between The Buried and Me‘s Alaska.
Metalcatto
Some would argue—and be kind of right—that pure Black Metal with genuine quality is kind of dead. Let me tell you that I sort of agree with this statement. However, that doesn’t mean we’ve given up the hopeless search. Enter Doodswens‘s self-titled album, a project that is still in diapers but promises a lot. In fact, everything about this thing screams commitment to the craft. Yet, I’ve been let down so many times before that I don’t want to hold my breath.
Metal Eclipse Reviews 