Suffering so you don't have to!
Vicky
From volunteering, to working with bands and record labels, all the way to writing “cool” articles, I, as a young journalist myself, have compiled a short list containing aspects that one should expect while writing in this domain.
Metalcatto
This top is meant to recognize the work of those bands that don’t have a specific niche to attack—the kind of artists that make you say “what the heck was even that?” or “I didn’t know I could feel this.” It’s a journey through albums that are each more mixed and harder to pin down than the last, but that’s the whole point, right? To be disturbed beyond repair. Or, if you prefer, you can also call this the top albums I couldn’t fit anywhere else.
Metalcatto
We still have some fresh reviews out of the oven for you before the holidays doom us all. I’ve loved all sorts of weird French Metal, you know that. However, we don’t get Darkwave Heavy Metal every day. In fact, my real fear is that The Losts’ Venom Within ends up being some kind of cheesy ride just like many other albums in the subgenre, but the season says I should be hopeful. So, I’ll do my best to not be a total snob today.
Milo Lane
(according to vibes, weather, and emotional damage)
2025 seemed so forked (Catto still won’t let me swear, so The Good Place rules apply) that it felt like it would never end — and honestly, it still kind of does. I’m not entirely convinced it isn’t yet time for the apocalypse. If this list abruptly ends, please assume society collapsed or my attention span finally did. On a lighter note, there’s no better time to count your blessings than cold, cold December — the month of numb fingers, hot headphones, and staring out windows in contemplation. Hopefully this list leaves you more blessed than before you found it.
Ixone
I remember this time last year I was worrying about not having listened to enough music… Well, let’s just say that version of me would call my present self a lazy slob in that regard. But, the only thing I can do in that regard other than try and put together this Judgement Day of a list, is to hope that 2026 will find me in a place where I actually pull myself together enough to keep up with music properly. However, despite all that, choosing what went in or was left out of this list ended up being a surprisingly difficult endeavor, since the underground has been undoubtedly just as busy as always. But now I will spare you of my ceaseless lamenting and get on with the list.
Pegah
This is all doom and gloom, so let’s get to it Pegah!
Vicky
Since I’m the youngest member here, it seemed fit to try and include as many genres as humanly possible. Also, this is like the third variant of my incredible list, so please be patient. Just remember, the correct question is never “oh, what did Vicky include in her list?”, it’s “what didn’t she include?”… Here it goes, the long overdue list, featuring dramas, friends, and spoilers:
Metalcatto
Your toilet break is short, so let’s go!
Metalcatto
As the year winds down and I clean our mailbox of lost hopes and dreams, I try to rescue a few things from the junk pile. Wayd is a band that has existed almost as long as yours truly. That usually means one of two things: a great history of success, or a long series of tragic events that stopped the project for years. Sometimes, of course, you get both. Anyway, I’m not entirely sure where Reinvent will fit into this story, but let’s see if the album was worth my dive into the mud. Fingers crossed.
Vicky
There are times when I’m starting to feel as if I were a dad wearing an AC/DC T-shirt and wondering why the kids nowadays are big fans of Sleep Token. It’s stupid, I know, but Lord Of The Lost (LOTL, not LOTR, that is) brought that feeling back. Second listen in, and I’m still pretty unsure as to why this band is so popular. Basically, we are dealing with a band that somehow managed to pick up the strangest elements from Mono Inc., Lacrimosa, Deine Lakaien, and Depeche Mode. Blending those with some Electronic-infused Dark/Goth Rock, you get LOTL.
Metal Eclipse Reviews 