The Great Observer – Loss of Trascendence

Metalcatto

With a name like The Great Observer, you’d expect this band to sound like a bunch of music school nerds. It’s ironic, because Loss of Transcendence is more like fancy music from the sewer than anything else—or at least that seemed to be the idea here. Enough of the intro. You’re here to get knocked out harder than an amateur boxer. Anyway, let’s start.

Immolation – Descent

Metalcatto

It finally happened. The band I always joked about is here. Immolation is like a shark in the sense that after millions of years, it has barely changed in essence. It’s been a crazy release weekend, which is why Descent has a hard task ahead in terms of impressing us, especially if the band is going to blast the same thing again and again. The real question: can this beat Close to a World Below?

Archspire – Too Fast Too Die

Metalcatto

Full disclosure: I’m a huge Archspire fan, but Too Fast Too Die didn’t catch me right away. That’s why I’m late to this review. Let’s face it, the band could easily fight for the title of fastest Metal band in the world. Heaviness is a more subjective scale, but when it comes to pure speed, it’s hard to make it crazier without triggering then precedence effect. Hence, with a strange level of excitement and wariness, I dive into this meth trip of an album.

Spirit Adrift – Infinite Illumination

Metalcatto

Surprised, mothertruckers. You didn’t know that Spirit Adrift was going to release something today, but I did, because finally being well-connected pays off. Infinite Illumination is meant to give us that Doom and Heavy Metal mix the band has become famous for. Just look at that artwork—doesn’t it bring Nightfall vibes to you? But with more “spiritual substances”? Alright, let’s see if this album can meet the band’s previous epic work.

Cognizance -In Light, No Shape

Metalcatto

If you’ve been following MER for a while, you might suspect that Willowtip Records has bribed us into submission. But first, no Metal label has that kind of money, and second, they just make good records. What can we do? So, yes, I expect Cognizance to hit harder than a tomahawk missile—oh, too soon? Anyway, In Light and No Shape is supposed to knock us out on our buttholes. Let’s see.

Tarask – Sitra Ahra

Metalcatto

Here we go again, our favorite guilty pleasure at MER: French Black Metal. You know how it has to be. One-member band, checked. Antiq as label, checked. Harsh production, checked. Lyrics about conformity and consumerism—but please buy the merch—checked. It’s all here, and we’re ready to dive into Tarask‘s Sitra Ahra with high hopes and dreams.

Teramaze – The Silent Architect

Metalcatto

It can happen, once in a full moon, that this reviewer feels like looking for something less intense. At least in the noise department, my ears need a break from the constant bashing. Teramaze is an old school Progressive Metal band—the kind that dives more into Dream Theater or Karnivool vibes than Opeth. Now that you know what to expect, let’s dive into The Silent Architect.

EP Special: Voidspire – Vacant Towers

Vicky

I know it’s been quite some time since I last reviewed an album for you dear people, however not only am I back now, but Catto handed me a dangerously powerful weapon, which is Voidspire’s debut EP, Vacant Towers. So, before we dig into this material, there are two questions I am sure you are already asking yourselves – who are the people in Voidspire and why is their music dangerous? Shockingly, both questions have the same answer: the band is Norwegian and they play death/black metal. I’m not sure where the “atmospheric” part of the aforementioned genres appears in Voidspire’s songs, but according to Encyclopaedia Metallum, these people have a more melodic approach to those genres that I, for one, would have dared to call even… symphonic.