Metalcatto
Time to do something I never do: reviewing a split. There’s just no moment for these eclectic releases. However, Nixil / Drouth‘s Toward Dead Temples caught my attention not only because I’m on a business trip and need a short release that takes less effort than usual—no, no. It’s because this thing radiated Blackened decadent energy, and I’m always in the mood for something like that. Aren’t you?
Before you wonder if this was recorded with a potato—see our potato saga on our IG page—I’ll let you know that we’re safe. Toward Dead Temples has managed to balance clarity and brutality. It feels organic and authentic. The relentless energy of this thing is hard to understate. It catches your attention all the time, not only with pointless blasting but with deliberate attacks plus excellent melodic work. It has an unexpected sense of scale. As in, it feels freaking enormous.
The noise and chaos in this split are organized in a way that makes sense. Nixil delivers punishing and direct mayhem, while Drouth spends a bit more time crafting tense and dramatic moments. You can tell two bands are working here, but they don’t compete with each other. The work complements each other well. However, I do have a softer spot for Drouth‘s work. It just has that sense of high stakes I like in my extreme Metal. It’s all personal, no business at all.
It’s tricky to find fault in this split, but I’ll take the safe and cowardly line. Cohesion is always something to dread in these formats, and though the tracks don’t step on each other, they do feel like isolated pieces that work best individually rather than as a whole. Complementing isn’t necessarily the same as narrative consistency, but that’s going to be an issue when you have this kind of mixed work. Yet, the split’s quick entrance and exit help the listener not get too entangled with this problem.
Do you want something furious with low commitment? Like your last situationship—ha, as if you could have that much drama in your life—then Toward Dead Temples is what you need. It was a refreshing and consistent delivery in spite of the issues that splits face by default. It made me interested in whatever these two acts will do next, and that’s the whole point of joining forces like this anyway. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to keep some kids alive during this business trip.
Label: Independent
Release date: April 24, 2026
Website: https://drouth.bandcamp.com/album/toward-dead-temples
Country: USA
Score: 3.5/5.0
Metal Eclipse Reviews 