metalcatto

Opeth – The Last Will and Testament

It’s been tough to write this one. You see, Opeth holds the closest sentimental spot in my heart. I loved everything from Orchid to Watershed with passion. I studied the tracks, played them, and then Opeth changed completely. Although I still enjoyed some albums from the Prog Rock era, they weren’t as ambitious or interesting—nothing the ’70s hadn’t already given us (get mad!). Now, The Last Will and Testament comes with big promises. We all heard that the growls were back, but I couldn’t care less—I wanted the songwriting to return. So, I wasn’t too hopeful after the single; I didn’t want to believe the hype! But let’s see if this is a true return to form or just overhyped by every reviewer site out there.

Nepenthe – The Fading Promise of Tomorrow & Elegies of Loss and Doom

SonikGoat

I discovered Nepenthe shortly after writing my review of its labelmates, QAALM, and its mighty offering, A Grave Impression of an Unbroken Arc, under Hypaethral Records. Having found in that album an excellent blend of styles, the description of this Ontario-based band was enough to pique my interest. Would they manage to incorporate these diverse styles into a cohesive blend of their own?

Veilburner – The Duality of Decapitation and Wisdom

SonikGoat

Mephisto Deleterio and Chrisom Infernom follow up 2022’s VLBRNR with their seventh and arguably most potent conjuring yet—and their fourth album on India’s Transcending Obscurity. For those not yet initiated into the Pennsylvania-based act’s particular cult of audial occultism, this is as good a place to begin as any. For those who have followed their earlier work, this album (The Duality of Decapitation and Wisdom) delves further into the peculiar dimension I’ll dub the Veilburnerverse.

Panzerfaust – The Suns of Perdition – Chapter IV: To Shadow Zion

There you can see it: Prometheus carrying the weight of our world, of our sins! There aren’t many bands that portray war like Panzerfaust. It’s not just the horror and immorality of it, but also its symbolism. This band gets that, which is why reaching the end of this tetralogy feels bittersweet. Who else has ever pulled this off? Four albums exploring a single concept with such depth? Maybe only Obscura with its cosmological tetralogy. Anyway, last time Panzerfaust released something, I had my concerns. Let’s see if The Suns of Perdition – Chapter IV: To the Shadow of Zion proves me wrong.

Thunraz – Incineration Day

You look at that name, you look at that art, you even look at the few band members, and you know that Thunraz’s Incineration Day isn’t going to be an easy ride. It’s not going to be chill or fun. This looks like a trip straight into hell—everything unholy and obscene. But am I exaggerating? Am I falling for the solid marketing job by its creators? In a year brimming with complex and impressive Disso-Death, Thunraz will need something truly distinctive to stand out among the heavyweights. Enough talk—let’s dive in!

True kvlt – The Malefic Grip, Suppressed Intentions, The Obsidian Resurrection & Major Distortion

You know what time it is! It’s that moment of the week when, fed up with the world’s depravity, I decide not to give up—because there are plenty of Metal bands out there dying for attention. Even if all they get is disdain, they keep going. And honestly, having edgy opinions that a handful of people read on the internet is enough to keep my sad hope alive. Today, we’ve got a lot of bands with flashy, long names—let’s see if they’re worth the effort!

Defeated Sanity – Chronicles of Lunacy

Defeated Sanity needs no introduction. Not many bands embody the heaviest of the heavy like this act does. Ever since Psalms of the Moribund, its catalog has been a masterclass in brutal consistency without devolving into the numbing exercise that often plagues Brutal Death Metal. That alone is an achievement. I can throw on a Defeated Sanity album and be annihilated for 35 minutes straight. Yet, with every new release, there’s always the lurking risk of falling into tired tropes. So, does Chronicles of Lunacy dodge the lameness abyss?

As I Lay Dying – Through Storms Ahead

It’s time to travel back to more angsty times—and less angry ones. It’s the late 2000s, the peak of Metalcore. The world is about to be hit with a recession so devastating that we collectively decided any pack of imbeciles could run nations just as well. Oh, sorry! Did I say something controversial? Is it any more controversial than the drama surrounding As I Lay Dying and its new album Through Storms Ahead? I don’t think so! But, like any wannabe professional, I’m going to refrain from edgy commentary and focus on the music. Shall we?

Monolithe – Black Hole District

Monolithe has the honor (or disgrace, depending on how you look at it) of having two 5.0/5.0 albums in my book: Monolithe II and Monolithe III. Both are masterclasses in Funeral Doom. However, those days of ultra Doom are long gone, and now Monolithe has evolved to such an alienating degree that it feels almost unrecognizable. Yet, it’s still the band in Doom Metal that makes my blood flow the most, reminding me how infinitely insignificant our existence is in the vastness of the cosmos. You might not love every risky step it takes, but I find it refreshing that, despite working within such a focused framework, Monolithe always manages to surprise me. Will Black Hole District be the same?

Lying Figures – Inheritance

Pegah

The French Melodic Death/Doom Metal band Lying Figures returns after a long hiatus with its new album, Inheritance. This time, Frédéric Simon (vocals & bass) and Matthieu Burgaud (guitars) guide us on a profound introspective journey, confronting emotions long buried or ignored. The album delves into deeply personal themes, exploring self-alienation, frustration, inner conflict, despair, and disorientation. These ideas are mirrored in the album cover, which portrays a dark, abandoned cityscape devoid of light, teetering on the brink of collapse. The inverted city hints at duality and the tension between mind and body, as well as a fractured sense of reality. The dominant red tones evoke intense emotions such as self-expression, aggression, and resilience, while birds and barren branches in the corners suggest life fleeing this desolate scene.