Metal Eclipse Reviews

Lying Figures – Inheritance

Pegah

The French Melodic Death/Doom Metal band Lying Figures returns after a long hiatus with its new album, Inheritance. This time, Frédéric Simon (vocals & bass) and Matthieu Burgaud (guitars) guide us on a profound introspective journey, confronting emotions long buried or ignored. The album delves into deeply personal themes, exploring self-alienation, frustration, inner conflict, despair, and disorientation. These ideas are mirrored in the album cover, which portrays a dark, abandoned cityscape devoid of light, teetering on the brink of collapse. The inverted city hints at duality and the tension between mind and body, as well as a fractured sense of reality. The dominant red tones evoke intense emotions such as self-expression, aggression, and resilience, while birds and barren branches in the corners suggest life fleeing this desolate scene.

Thy Catafalque – XII: A gyönyörű álmok ezután jönnek

It’s time to stop the doomscrolling! The man, the myth, the legend is here. You wouldn’t believe how excited I was when I got the promo for Thy Catafalque’s XII: A gyönyörű álmok ezután jönnek (Satan, help me with this title!). No project sounds quite like this one. That’s the paradox of Thy Catafalque—you never know what you’re getting, yet you kind of do. Am I making sense? Probably not. I’ve been a fan since Rengeteg and loved almost everything since. But surpassing Alföld, which was album-of-the-year material, is a massive task. Let’s dive in!

Mitochondrion – Vitreseptome

SonikGoat

Until now, Mitochondrion has not released a new full-length album in 11 years. Eleven years in which the commodification of some of popular music’s most challenging and demanding material has continued unabated. Indeed, in 2024, it’s possible to say that in the rarefied world of extreme Metal, styles such as Disso-Death have even become somewhat “fashionable”—by the niche standards of the underground, of course. Bands pushing further into abyssal realms seem to erupt into our cosmos on a weekly basis these days, so it takes a special group to take such a long hiatus and still return with a palpable buzz of expectancy. Not only has Mitochondrion achieved that, but has also surpassed its previous full-length, the mighty Parasignosis, delivering yet another top-tier album for 2024.

True kvlt: Soleil Noir, Ashlands, The Split & Faded Remembrance

Alright, my beloved readers (I’m in a good mood, so you get some love for once), it’s time to dig into the depths of the underground and dish out the love—or hate—these submissions deserve. You know the drill: some of these bands are working with the production value of a 2009 smartphone short film, but who cares? We’re here for what’s true and kvlt, not for petty concerns like beauty, right? Let’s get this firing squad ready!

Auriferous Flame – The Insurrectionists and The Caretakers

Let’s travel to the cradle of democracy (assuming your definition of democracy includes only rich dudes voting) and meet Auriferous Flame, a band that doesn’t sound like your typical Greek outfit. Yes, it’s still Black Metal, but not the kind we’re accustomed to. The Insurrectionists and The Caretakers hit us with a sound that flirts with Black/Thrash, laced with Progressive influences. Intriguing, right? Let’s not delay any further and dive into this violent and dark revolution.

Molder – Catastrophic Reconfiguration

SonikGoat

What’s to be done with a corpse, you may ask? To most, a corpse is just a swiftly decaying pile of blood and guts—a mess, an inconvenience. Sure, you could burn it or dispose of it, but it will cost you time and effort. Wouldn’t it be more useful to repurpose it somehow? Let Molder show you the way. The band knows how to take a cadaver, reanimate it, imbue it with an undead will, and let it thrash around for 30 minutes or so. A most excellent and entertaining use for a heap of remains, wouldn’t you agree?

Witnesses – Joy

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

Oriska – Oriska

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!

QAALM – Grave Impressions Of An Unbroken Arc

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.

Sleepless – Through Endless Black

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?