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Ataraxie – Le Décline

Pegah

Le Déclin (meaning The Fall) is the sixth full-length album by the French Funeral Doom Metal band Ataraxie. However, its style isn’t confined to Doom Metal’s subgenres, as some tracks can be categorized as Progressive Death Metal. The first time I listened to Ataraxie, I was thrilled by the sudden changes in rhythms—shifting from calm, low-tempo, Doom-like rhythms to high-speed, Death-like blasts. Specifically, as a Funeral Doom Metal fan, you’ll be surprised by how, in the blink of an eye, they pull you out of the dreary, depressive atmosphere and thrust you into the cruel world, forcing you to face reality.

Iotunn – Kinship

Stargazer scholar

Some bands deserve more than a simple review. Some albums deserve an elegy. It is well-nigh impossible to give a verbal description to the whirling tangle of emotions they evoke, but this is why music exists in the first place – to channel sentiments that evade other mediums of expression. In a hopeless attempt to perceive the divine machinery of art, we can only aspire to arouse curiosity in others with the humble means at our disposal. And it is with this hope that I bid you welcome to the world of Iotunn‘s Kinship.

Sólstafir – Hin Helga Kvöl

How’s your Icelandic? Chances are you don’t even know how to say “hi” in this ancient language. I don’t blame you—part of Sólstafir‘s charm is that, much like its homeland, it transports us to a remote place many have never seen. Yet, it remains familiar enough to be relatable. Calling Sólstafir a “Post/Black Metal cowboy” isn’t far off. In fact, Sólstafir could be seen as the extreme, modern response to Finland’s Leningrad Cowboys. Or am I pushing my Nordic culture references too far? Anyway, let’s dive into Hin Helga Kvöl.

Carnosus – Wormtales

Carnosus has both the blessing and the curse of having dropped one of the best albums (and probably the best Tech Death album) of 2023: Visions of Infinihility. It took the underground by storm, and before we could even recover, the band is back with Wormtales. Many of us were nervous that it was too soon for Carnosus to hit us with more of its unique approach to Tech Death. But if there was one band capable of pulling off this feat, it was Carnosus. So, let’s dive in!

Tungsten- The Grand Inferno

Elyna Khan

I’m not gonna lie, I had never listened to Tungsten before, beyond knowing the name. However, in my experience, Tungsten is one of those bands whose name pops up in random conversations, and you immediately associate it with a specific genre. In my case, Stoner. I don’t know why, but anything that “smells like gasoline” to my ears makes me think of Stoner. By the way, if you’re curious, “smelling music” relates to a phenomenon called synesthesia.

Feral – To Usurp The Thrones

Swedish Death Metal has been facing some challenges lately, largely due to how overexposed the niche has become. However, at MER, we have a soft spot for the genre—after all, this whole blog started with it! That’s why Feral is being met with a little extra mercy compared to other releases. Flesh For Funerals Eternal was a solid effort back in 2018, so now the question is whether To Usurp the Thrones will bet on change or stick with consistency. Enough with romantic intros—let’s crank up the chainsaw and get into it!

Swallow the Sun – Shining

Elased

Swallow the Sun is at a crossroads. The year 2024 marks the beginning of a new era for it. Just one glance at the cover of its new album Shining makes it unmistakably clear: everything is different from today! This is exciting and stirs curiosity, but it also has its downsides. So before we delve into the music, let me say a few words: Yes, I was also taken aback when I heard the first single for the first time—but I was even more shocked by the sometimes harsh and nasty comments that this and subsequent audio samples received from some “so-called fans”. Did Swallow the Sun deserve that? Absolutely not! Every musician has the right to artistic freedom and to express their own creativity—even if that means rethinking their previous style. Just think of bands like Anathema, Opeth, Katatonia, and so many others. And Swallow the Sun certainly hasn’t been treading water for nine albums either.

Ensiferum – Winter Storm

Elyna Kahn

Ensiferum will release its highly anticipated album Winter Storm soon! Renowned for its Melodic Death Metal sound, the band has built a successful career since forming in 1997. The 2020 album Thalassic achieved significant success, propelling Ensiferum to world tours before the pandemic ruined everything. Now, four years later, the band is back with Winter Storm, an album that promises to captivate fans with its powerful blend of Viking Folk Metal and evolved melodic elements.

Gigan – Anomalous Abstractigate Infinitessimus

Stop the social media machine for a second because we have an OG here! Yes, this has been the year when Disso-Death and Disso-Black have taken over Metal for good, but if there’s one band that was already melting flesh in this style before it was cool, it’s Gigan! The Order of the False Eye remains, to me, a classic that anyone in love with this inhumane style should have in their collection. Honestly, Gigan has always delivered quality, so my expectations for Anomalous Abstractigate Infinitessimus are gigantic (pun intended!). Let’s dive in!

Immortal Bird – Sin Querencia

Stargazer Scholar

Immortal Bird has developed an especially vicious brand of Death Metal. Seasoned with Black, Sludge, and Crust undertones, its music is as intricate as it is pummeling. That being said, listeners were left to conjecture about the next step in the band’s evolution, as its previous full-length had already reached the respectable age of five. Personally, I was favoring a more progressive, sprawling approach, being an ardent appreciator of the lengthier tracks from the prior releases. You can imagine my surprise, then, when I received the promo for the long-awaited Sin Querencia and discovered that, contrary to my expectations and hopes, Immortal Bird opted for concision.