Suffering so you don't have to!
Milo Lane
There is a particular mindset required to sit down with a Casket record. Not preparation exactly — more like consent. An agreement with yourself that what follows will not ask politely, will not soften its edges, and will not care whether you are ready. Pressing play felt like anticipation braided tight with a certain resistance. I wanted this record. I knew I would also probably fight it.
Metalcatto
When I think of Japanese Old School Death Metal, my first thought is Intestine Baalism. I know that’s not entirely fair to Invictus, a band that comes from a musical culture renowned for taking something that works and refining it to an even higher standard. Hence, I held onto a sliver of hope that their new album, Nocturnal Visions, wouldn’t be another generic entry merely trying to catch Tomb Mold‘s fiery momentum. I was cautiously optimistic, yet acutely aware that this style is arguably one of the most stable and traditional niches in Metal, rivaled perhaps only by the steadfast formulas of Power and Symphonic Metal. But let’s dive in.
Metalcatto
There’s a level of tragedy to this review. Despite how much we all love to pick on Megadeth, and especially on Dave Mustaine for all his public antics and tumultuous history, he’s our weird, cantankerous uncle in the metal family. Seeing the band seemingly ready to leave the gloves on the ring is a genuinely sad moment. I’m a realist; there is absolutely no way Megadeth is ever going to top the holy trinity of Rust in Peace, Countdown to Extinction, or even Peace Sells… But Who’s Buying? But here we are, collectively not quite ready to let the old guys ride peacefully into the sunset with their millions. So, let’s not pull any punches in discussing one of the most iconic acts in our little, utterly insignificant metal world.
Metalcatto
It’s time to review a band I have no prior knowledge about—a statement that, for a reviewer, borders on the embarrassing. Lucky for you, I have very little shame left. Blackwater Drowning (a wonderfully evocative name) arrives with their album Obscure Sorrows, and to be fair, the proposal is at least intriguingly enigmatic. So, let’s see if this album can rescue me from the near-permanent state of critical numbness that sets in after doing this for more years than I’d care to admit. Enough professional bitterness, however; let’s try to approach this with an open mind and see if we can find some genuine cheer in the music.
Metalcatto
There are musical projects with wildly ambitious dreams—like making a sustainable living from metal—and then there are the more humble endeavors that simply exist as an excuse for friends to create music together. That latter category seems to be where Beyond the Pale firmly resides. A band that began its battle during the isolating days of the pandemic, it’s are now ready to release its debut full-length, Monument in Time, which promises a savage and unrefined fusion of Death and Thrash Metal. I’m continually surprised by how infrequently these two genres are blended effectively, as the combination makes so much inherent sense. Anyway, let’s jump into the fray.
Metalcatto
Explosions! Unicorns! Dragons! Now that I have your power metal attention, I should talk to you about Greyhawk‘s new album, Warriors of the Greyhawk. I assume they’re talking about themselves with this title. I’ll do my absolute best to give these guys a fair chance, despite my eternal disdain for anything that is remotely corny or happy. A reviewer needs to keep evolving; otherwise, we just become bitter old people like most. So, let’s start this riff extravaganza.
Metalcatto
Paganizer is like a shark. In the sense that after millions of years, it has changed very little. And why would you when you play Old School Swedish Death Metal? However, even I’ve started to wonder if the band can break the mold for once. Given that its last release wasn’t that long ago, my hopes aren’t exactly high for As Mankind Rots to deliver change, but let’s see!
Metalcatto
You know what’s up, click below and see what underground darling we found this week! Maybe you’ll be surprised!
Metalcatto
The shreddiest band in town is back. Alkaloid has never subscribed to the philosophy that less is more. If a song can unleash a barrage of every conceivable riff, why hold back? Yet its latest project, Bach Out of Bounds, showcases the band attempting something notably different—a more academic and classical approach. This is arguably the closest the band has ever come to crafting an acoustic album. I understand how that description might sound dreadful to some, but don’t stop reading, because things are about to get interesting.
Ixone
I think I’ve reached a point in my… listening of extreme metal if you will, where the wisest thing I can do is go against what my gut tells me about an album. What that actually translates as is: The more I put off listening to an album because I’m not sure that it will be good, the better that album is going to be when I actually manage to get over myself and actually listen to it. I guess that’s one way to avoid complacency in the realms of music… but I digress.
Metal Eclipse Reviews 