Metalcatto
You keep bombing us with stuff, so no intro! Let’s go!
True kvlt: Primal Gaze, Desu Taem, MavAngelo, Catherine, Uniporn & Patior Eugea
Perishing- Malicious Acropolis Unveiled
Metalcatto
When you think of Funeral Doom, Costa Rica might not be the first place that comes to mind. The weather is warm, the scenery is beautiful, and people are often associated with an easygoing, happy way of life. Yet even in paradise, shadows can grow long, and Perishing proves it with its debut Malicious Acropolis Unveiled. This is not a casual dip into melancholy—it’s a grim, oppressive, and deliberately heavy work that aims to pull the listener deep into a world where hope is an illusion. The name alone feels like an ominous gateway, and maybe the music behind it delivers on that promise.
Visions of Atlantis / Armada – Live Over Europe
Elyna Kahn
Visions of Atlantis has been waving the symphonic metal flag for years now, and this time they decided to prove it live. Armada – Live Over Europe is their latest statement, a 19-track beast stitched together from various stops of their 2024 Armada European tour. It’s mostly material from their last two studio raids, Pirates (2022) and Pirates II (2024), released July 14th on vinyl and CD, because apparently these pirates still believe in treasure you can actually hold.
Unleashed – Fire Upon Your Lands
Metalcatto
Unleashed is an institution in Swedish Death Metal. The band was there at the dawn of time, back when everyone played with the same rancid distortion pedal and accidentally created a music subgenre. Fire Upon Your Lands is supposed to be a health check for a band that still feels fresh despite its years. I know — a Swedish band singing about Viking stuff already feels like raining over the ocean, but when you have such a classic act, things can go either really well or make you regret being a Metalhead. Let’s see which one we end up with here, ok? Wish me luck.
Abhorrent Expanse – Enter The Misanthropocene
Metalcatto
There are times when bands answer questions nobody asked. Not because we hated the answer, but because we dreaded what could come next. That’s the case with Abhorrent Expanse’s Enter The Misanthropocene (basically any time before modern medicine, I guess). The album is a strange mix of Drone, Avant-Garde Metal, and Jazz. Yes, you heard that right — all these styles are mixed together to create the most bizarre experience I’ve had in a while. Or at least, that’s what I hoped for. But what did I get in the end? Stay tuned!
Blackbraid – Blackbraid III
Metalcatto
Our favorite Black/Folk act that’s not really that Folk is here! Most of us were there when Blackbraid took the Metal world by storm with a short, effective album that captured our imagination. It was Black/Folk that didn’t bastardize its own roots — no gimmicks, just music as a tool to tell a story. Then Blackbraid II hit us, showing the full potential of a project that kept people debating the real cultural background of its creator. Personally, I have little interest in judging people’s identities; as long as they treat the matter with respect, I have no problem. So, can Blackbraid III surprise us?
True kvlt: Mindistry, Artificial Perception, Laxis, Profiler, Nico & Kittenhead
Vicky & Metalcatto
We’ve had many submissions again! So, let’s go!
An Abstract Illusion – The Sleeping City
Metalcatto
I was there when An Abstract Illusion released Illuminate the Path and blew me away. Little did I know the band could reach even greater heights with Woe. Ever since Opeth traded Progressive Death Metal for Dadcore, Sweden hasn’t had a band to carry that torch. Meanwhile, scenes in Australia, Norway, and Germany have been thriving, building names of their own. But it was about time someone from the land of meatballs and cinnamon buns responded with authority. The Sleeping City could be that answer. The catch? The band is stepping into an almost impossible challenge. I mean, Woe was the Prog album of 2022, right? Let’s go.
Adur – We Fail to Love Ourselves
Metalcatto
Adur is walking a thin line for me. No, it hasn’t done anything wrong, and it hasn’t made awful music either. But it’s offering Post-Metal that deeply resembles Amenra and Cult of Luna—two bands I absolutely worship—which means We Fail to Love Ourselves has a tough battle ahead if it’s going to impress me. It’s not a competition, but comparisons are inevitable. And honestly, there aren’t many things I want more than a Post-Metal band that hits me hard in the feels instead of just giving me lounge Rock disguised as “atmospheric.” Let’s dive in.
Trudger – Void Quest
Metalcatto
Sometimes you miss the decadence of urban life—the filth that makes you feel alienated, and yet, it’s the only home you know. Why am I starting this so seriously? Where are all the jokes? You see, when Trudger came to us with Void Quest, I quickly realized this band shares members with Dvne (one of my top Prog albums of 2024). The promise was that this would be even darker and heavier, so obviously, I’m more excited than a drunkard in a liquor store (stop it! Get some help!). So let’s go!
Metal Eclipse Reviews 