Suffering so you don't have to!
Pegah
“Suppose that pleasure and pain are so intertwined that whoever wants as much as possible of the one must also have as much as possible of the other – that whoever wants to know ‘rejoicing to heaven’ must be prepared for ‘grieving onto death’ as well?“
― Friedrich Nietzsche
In the sea of heavy releases we have this autumn, sometimes I feel like giving a chance to the little guy. It’s not the first time we do it, Oriska isn’t new here, it’s a True kvlt darling, but there was something else about Oriska‘s self-titled album that drew me into the bleak, crushing depths of its Post-Metal, where soundscapes feel as cold and isolating as missing the last train at midnight in the dead of winter. If you don’t relate—lucky you. But let me share my thoughts on Oriska anyway!
SonikGoat
Extreme Metal, in all its guises, seems to oscillate between two states: on one hand, the worship of the comfortingly familiar—usually through the repetitive perfection of rigid forms; on the other, the “outer limits” of Metal serve as a home to a ceaseless churning of these forms. 2024 has seen several excellent releases that together confirm that for every clutch of bands setting out to achieve perfection in older styles, there are those striving to take Metal in new, sometimes startling directions. Thus, we have Blood Incantation fusing ripping Death with the rich analog sounds of seventies Prog Rock and synth; Ingurgitating Oblivion pushing the envelope of avant-garde composition and technicality; or Iotunn fearlessly combining Prog innovation with Heavy Metal passion.
Stargazer Scholar
Let’s face it, genre debates have become as much a staple of Heavy Metal culture as battle vests and band t-shirts. Is it Thrash or Death? Is this record more Technical than it is Brutal? And if it happens to be Black, is it more Melodic or Atmospheric? Oh, and most importantly—ubiquitously, inescapably—tell me: is it, by chance, Prog?
True kvlt is back! I just had to wait until there was enough material and the release schedule had slowed down a bit, but don’t think I’d forgotten about you, my dear readers and musicians hungry for new sounds. You crave the chance to be that one hipster, who in 10 years will say, “I knew them before they were cool, now they suck!” And you’ll have us to thank for that. Today, we have a fresh collection of bizarre bands, and as you know, the weirder, the better. Let’s dive in!
Well, this is going to be tricky. You see, I’m what people would call an old-fashioned Tribulation fan. Here I am, eating chips and scratching my head, while the band has morphed from a Black Metal outfit into a Goth Rock one. Evidently, I’m a bigger fan of its first era, but I’m open to giving Sub Rosa in Æternum a chance. Goth albums typically fall into two categories: they either evoke the horrors of the night, or end up as cringeworthy festivals of edgy people in leather. Let’s see which one this album turns out to be.
Ixone
Hellenic Black Metal has, from its inception, shown striking differences from nearly everything that might be categorized as traditional Black Metal. Eldingar’s latest record, Lysistrata, is no exception. Since its first release, Eldingar has forged a unique sound that melds a wide variety of influences—from Thrash and Melodic Death Metal to folk music—into its style. With that, let’s dive in.
Pegah
Sometimes, carrying on, just carrying on, is the superhuman achievement.
― Albert Camus
It’s time to fire up the time machine and travel back to the least glorious decade of humanity: the ’80s. At MER, we understand that nostalgia fuels today’s economy, and Massacre knows this well, too. Necrolution is clearly intended as a tribute to the early days of Death Metal, but with a level of production that some of us, at least, can appreciate. It’s a delicate balance, giving these Florida veterans the respect they deserve while keeping this review honest—but I’ll do my best not to retch too much at the ’80s.
Halloween is almost here, and for all those into Metal, that means it’s time to celebrate. It doesn’t matter if you’re in Iowa or Ulaanbaatar. If there’s an excuse for a Metalhead to dress up and indulge in melodramatic obsessions with the obscure and occult, they’ll take it. So, today, we’re diving into two releases coming out this October 31st. Let’s see if they fit the vibe—but let’s be real, you’re always in the mood for something decadent and evil, aren’t you? I thought so.
Metal Eclipse Reviews 