Suffering so you don't have to!
Metalcatto
As you know, nostalgia is part of the Metal life, but it’s usually more prevalent in Black and Death Metal. Power Metal doesn’t count because nothing has changed in 30 years. Masseti‘s Odds and Ends is offering retro-Prog Metal, and though the idea hits me right in the feels, since I used to be a huge fan of the style, I’m also concerned about how much of an ordeal it is to set up such a solo project. There’s an enormous risk of ending up in a cornfest, but we must have faith, right?
Metalcatto
Lately, I’ve felt in control of the mess release dates can become. However, great albums from the underground still escape my grasp here and there. In an attempt to do justice to bands that we were either too late or too busy to explore deeply, we’re back with this section where we try to make this unjust world a little fairer in our own low-budget way. Let’s check out this unique bunch, ok?
Vicky
If you are confused about the title, it is perfectly fine—I was too. A quick search for Pythia on Encyclopaedia Metallum revealed that Unhallowed is the band’s fifth album. However, it has decided to divide it into two (or perhaps more, it’s confusing!) parts. Before I share more about the album, I would like to clarify the actual definition of “unhallowed”: it means “unholy, not formally consecrated, wicked.”Now that you’ve been educated, let’s start!
Vicky
Folk Metal is a genre that most people consider to be limited strictly to Eluveitie, Korpiklaani, Arkona, Feuerschwanz, and a few other titans. But that’s not really the case. There are also numerous underground groups that certainly deserve your attention. One of them is the Italian Folk Metal act Aexylium. And it’s not trying to mimic any of the praised bands I have mentioned earlier, but it walks on its own path. So far, this means combining traditional Folk Metal instruments with enchanting symphonies and feeling – one that you have probably encountered before in Power Metal. At times, they even incorporate Technical Death Metal elements into their work (especially on the track “In Sorrow”). You may also find things specific to Brutal Death Metal on the title track.
Metalcatto
Sometimes I wonder what Atmospheric Black Metal would sound like if anyone actually knew or cared how to produce it. Enter Beleth’s Trumpet‘s Chapel of Bones, a band seemingly interested in doing old-school Black Metal that doesn’t sound like French fries fried out of existence. It also happens to be a Finnish band, and despite my best efforts to find some drama, it remains properly mysterious. Time will tell if that’s a good or bad thing. Anyway, let’s dive into this swirling mass of malevolence and static noise.
Metalcatto
Whether we like it or not, 2025 has become the year of Blackened Death Metal. Sure, Behemoth dropped something, but we’ve also had heavyweights such as Dormant Ordeal and Decline of the I raising the bar. Now Patristic storms in with Catechesis, looking ready to join this fiercely competitive field. Dramatic cover art, unsettling religious track names, an ambitious scope, and Willowtip Records backing it—on paper, everything points to a real show‑stopper. The flip side is that my expectations shoot to a surreal level, which could set the stage for disappointment.
Metalcatto
Hi there, my beautiful music degenerates. Here I am, back with another section of low‑budget and unpredictable releases from the dungeons of my email inbox and personal DMs. What can I say? You people reach out in all sorts of creative ways that would probably cross more than one legal boundary. Anyway, I’ll talk to my lawyer later and focus on this random selection of bands again.
Metalcatto
Traditional wouldn’t be the way I’d describe our approach at MER Industries. If anything, I make sure our writers review things that sound new and fresh simply because I hate the past. However, sometimes you have to stop and see how far we’ve come in time. Enter Patchwork, a band that tries to bring a Heavy and Thrash approach from the 80s into our era with Scars. Are you ready for some nostalgic riffs? I’m not, but I can be soon! Let’s do this.
Metalcatto
We all know that Metal is a melting pot (some people in the Black Metal community live in a fantasy, though), and we’ve seen our fair share of Folk Metal. However, how many times have you seen a band mix Grindcore with Nepali culture? Never, right? Well, that’s what Chepang promises in Jhyappa—a blasting and merciless delivery with some added detail and depth. But does it work? I was fairly skeptical. Let’s be real, this combination sounded like eating a chocolate cake with nachos on it—but who knows, maybe that’s also good. Let’s go!
Elyna Khan
Discovering incredible bands is one of the perks of being a zine reviewer. You receive the promos in your email, put on your headphones, press play, and the journey begins. Little by little, in every note, every chord, every cut, you discover pieces of yourself. The blood begins to pump strongly to your heart, filling your chest with a comforting warmth and imbuing you with an intense, luminous energy that simply leaves you happy.
Metal Eclipse Reviews 