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Tryaels Ascension – Hell Walker

Good day, my children! I know you’re tired of the “today we have something different blah blah blah” and then I proceed to name something sadly generic, but today that’s not the case! We have a Metal video game OST (Original Sound Track). It’s Tryael’s Ascension – Hell Walker. Honestly, I didn’t know what to expect. Reviewing a full album is one thing, but an album meant to enhance a video game experience is another. Let’s hope it sounds nearly as good as the cover art looks. Anyway, let’s dive in!

Grid – The World Before Us

You’ve heard about space Black Metal, you’ve heard about space Death Metal, even about cosmic Thrash. I guess it was about time we started hearing something about space Post-Metal. Yes, it finally happened: space has become a theme for deconstruction. Grid is volunteering to offer us an epic journey into our own interstellar origins, which already sounds refreshing, but can The World Before Us stand out in this vast universe filled with indifference? That’s what we’re here to find out!

Svartelder – Trenches

When I read a promo that says “traditional Norwegian Black Metal,” my face is an iceberg that shows no emotion. If there’s one sub-genre more beaten to death than Power Metal, it’s old school Black Metal. However, Svartelder has such a cool name that I thought giving Trenches a chance would be the least I could do after months of hopelessness. This is a band with a respectable catalog, so you can’t blame me for wanting to believe! Let’s dive into the darkness!

True kvlt: Starspawn of Cthulhu, Slaughtersword, Xo.eN and Aftermath

It seems we’ve finally reached the first submission list from the deep web. However, there are still one or two lists more left. Hence, our suffering/joy continues. This week, we bring you some albums and EPs that show you how diverse and strange Metal can be. You know the drill: give them love or hate, but give these bands something! Let’s start!

Solemn Ceremony – Chapter III

It’s Doom time! I know it might seem like we at MER have an anti-Doom agenda. Nothing could be further from the truth! However, this hasn’t been exactly the most Doom-filled year. That doesn’t mean we can’t run into interesting work. Look at what Solemn Ceremony brings to the table: rough and crusty music that promises to transport you to a much more relaxed world, away from the miseries of your anxious existence. Does it succeed, or can nothing save you from yourself? Slowly, we’ll find out.

Retro-Review: Iron Maiden – Virtual XI (with Elyna)

Alright! I’m excited to announce that we’re welcoming our first guest writer to this section. I won’t lie to you; in my opinion, this is a hot take. So, kill each other with kindness in the comments. Anyway, go give Elyna Kahn a follow, or even better, check out her Patreon. Enough from me, I leave you in her hands.

Laceration – I erode

Who wants to check out some old-school Death Metal from the cave? Nobody? Just me? Well, that’s what we have for you today. I hope you’re ready for what has become our usual review at MER, as we delve into Laceration‘s new album, I Erode. As you can imagine, everything in the title and art screams reckless destruction and a level of filth that rivals your bathroom’s toilet seat—you know, the one with black mold. Anyway, let’s swim in that mess in the name of Metal.

Orange Goblin – Science, Not Fiction

Sometimes at MER, we want to show that we can do more than just review the most brutal and godless albums the internet can throw at us. We also enjoy some good Sludge or Stoner Rock. Yes, it’s even more niche and bad for our pathetic money ambitions, but for now, we have principles. Orange Goblin is what happens when you combine Mastodon, Sleep, and Electric Wizard. You’re going to feel the spices going up your bloodstream and down your toilet seat. So, where to put Science, Not Fiction in a long and illustrious career? Let’s see!

Dream Evil – Metal Gods

Regardless of your personal opinions, there’s no denying that Dream Evil is an institution within Power Metal. These guys have been doing this longer than many of you have been alive. Nordström has been involved with almost every significant Swedish MeloDeath band in the last twenty years. Needless to say, a band with a strong history, extensive contacts, and reputable labels behind it sets high expectations for its work. So, we won’t hold any punches when reviewing its new album, Metal Gods.

Disloyal – Divine Miasma

Stop the meat grinder at the factory! We have a Polish band today. This can mean a few things: extreme quality mixed with blasphemy or dull heaviness mixed with ideological fanaticism (I’m being so polite here). Disloyal‘s new album, Divine Miasmata, is sending all the right signals: good band name, evil album name, and killer art. So, I’m entitled to have expectations, right? It even comes from Black Lion, one of the most consistent underground labels out there. Everything on paper makes more sense than your fake CV. Hopefully, Disloyal lies less than you.