Suffering so you don't have to!
Stargazer Scholar
Let us play a little game, shall we? I’m going to name a subgenre of Metal and you will quickly come up with three associations it evokes. Ready? Just promise not to overthink it, OK? Great, I knew I could count on you!
And our genre is… ‘Black Metal!’
Hi there! This is going to be a short introduction. We’ve got way too many EPs and singles from you to discuss this week, and I don’t want to waste precious time. We have bands from all over the Metal spectrum—Death, Black, Doom, even a Symphonic band. You can’t complain there’s no representation at MER. Let’s go!
It’s time to return to no-nonsense, unapologetic Black Metal that can tear us a new one any day of the week. So, I bring you Panzerchrist (ask the AI to draw this name, please!) and its new album Maleficium Part I, which promises a level of fury and hysteria that many of you have been missing. You know Black Metal these days—it can get a bit complicated. Don’t you miss some meat and potatoes? Well, I think that’s what we’ve got here—or maybe not? It’s time to find out. Just don’t say I didn’t warn you about this album’s approach.
It’s that time of the year when you, me, and every Metalhead feel this irrational urge to declare certain random works of art better than others. It’s a depressing attempt to find identity and meaning through the cultural products we consume (enjoy capitalism, kiddo!). This year, we’ve had some interesting “remakes”, and I have, as any benevolent tyrant would, decided to share my favorites with you. It’s not exactly a ranking, but I’m placing them from “Oh, that’s a lovely change” to “Wow! This album went from sounding like chimp noises to La Traviata“. Extreme? Yes, that’s the name of the game. So, without further ado, here are my favorite re-whatevers of 2024.
It’s tricky to pick the last album to review this year before we all dive into top lists and rankings for the holidays. This is the perfect chance to explore some of the more discreet releases that might otherwise get drowned out by the noise. When I first checked out Against I‘s Songs for the Dying, two opposing thoughts crossed my mind: “It looks like Brave Murder Day, but it can’t be that good”, and also, “It can’t be produced that poorly either”. With that calculated, almost sociopathic train of thought, I put Songs for the Dying on. Let me tell you if it delivered.
Here we are, reviewing one of the most important and influential bands in Metal, yet one that hasn’t actually played much of it in decades. Ulver is a master of alienating its fanbase with every release, and Liminal Animals is no different. It follows the Electronic and Pop elements of its previous entry, but this time, there’s a different tone. The band is recovering from an irreplaceable loss, so I’ll keep the humor—just with extra respect, ok? So, what can we expect from the most Metal non-Metal band out there? Let’s dive in!
Project: Ultimate Satan—now that’s a name I want to shout out loud in front of all my Metal friends (if I had any). They’d be so puzzled, thinking I was talking about some reality show. But enough jokes. Opus Satanas actually brings something interesting to the table. I’d define it as Symphonic Metal that devolves into Death Metal. It’s been a while since we’ve had a proposal like this, and honestly, I needed a break from all the “bark bark bark, dum dum dum” on repeat. So, let’s get to it!
Stargazer Scholar
Numerous subgenres of Metal have been squeezed to the very last drop of their former originality—exhausted, recycled, and overdone. Weirdly enough, despite its obvious overpopulation problem, Atmospheric Black Metal is not one of those genres. Before you object, dear reader, think of all the outstanding and unique artists this movement has spawned. Consider the legendary dungeon synth escapades of the mighty Summoning and its glorious followers; recall the dreamy medieval charm of the mysterious Obsequiae; and remember the swelling soundscapes of Saor. Italy’s Eard remains a well-hidden but no less precious gem in this constellation of curiosities—a gem yearning to be discovered.
Ok, sigh, here we go. You guys voted for this in our Instagram poll, so I wash my hands of it! Saying that Marilyn Manson is a controversial figure is like saying Burger King sells burgers. So when I received the promo, my reaction was, “Oh no! What do I do now?” I asked the people—that’s what I did. I also want to state that if MM is guilty of even half of what he’s been accused of, that’s more than enough reason for me to not enjoy anything he’s produced. However, I’m a professional, and in One Assassination Under God – Chapter 1, I’ll do my best to separate the art from the artist.
Elyna Kahn
After reviewing several promos in my inbox, I stumbled upon a title that caught my attention: The Eclipse of Worlds by Within Silence from Slovakia. It was my first encounter with a Slovakian band and another “Within”—aside from Within Temptation. I didn’t know what to expect. I only review music that stirs something deep within my heart. So, after listening to several other bands, I clicked the link without high expectations. I downloaded the tracks and started listening. At first glance, it seemed like a generic Power Metal album. On the second listen, I realized it’s pure Power Metal—in the best sense of the term.
Metal Eclipse Reviews 