Australia – Metal Eclipse Reviews

Karnivool – In Verses

Metalcatto

Karnivool is what happens when a band possesses the intricate, atmospheric ambition of Tool but is fundamentally more willing to wear its heart on its sleeve and openly explore emotional vulnerability, rather than shrouding everything in cryptic metaphor and themes of substance abuse. The band carries both the blessing and the curse of an undeniable landmark album in its past (Sound Awake). Hence, its latest offering, In Verses, arrives with enormous shoes to fill and, frankly, zero of my initial hopes for a triumphant return. But let’s dive in regardless.

Malignant Aura – Where All of Worth Comes to Wither

Metalcatto

Rarely has a band name been so accurate in describing the atmosphere it creates as Malignant Aura. From the very first moments, the music lives up to that promise, radiating a suffocating, almost inhuman presence that feels carefully engineered rather than accidental. One could imagine this being the sound of ancient entities waking up, though filtered less through Lovecraftian myth and more through a modern Progressive/Death Metal lens. Even before pressing play, Where All of Worth Comes to Wither sets the tone with a title that feels relentlessly bleak, practically daring the listener to engage with it on its own terms.

Vile Apparition – Malignity

Metalcatto

We continue exploring the harmful side of Metal! It’s been a while without old school Death Metal, so let’s dive in! Vile Apparition might look at first like your consistent brutal band—nothing more and nothing less—but in Malignity the band tried to do more than just have fun and send us all to therapy. It attempts to leave a lasting impression, and there’s next to no other subgenre where this task is harder. Hence, I respect the impossible endeavor from the start. Enough drama now!

Austere – The Stillness of Dissolution

Metalcatto

I was there when Austere released To Lay Like Old Ashes. It was my first experience with Atmospheric Black Metal. And though it wasn’t a perfect album, I recall it to this day. Long after, I’m here, ready to review The Stillness of Dissolution, ready to appreciate how much the band—and I—have changed in these almost twenty years. Austere has already taken radical steps in its style, but will this continue, or will we see a return to its origins? Stay put for your favorite flavor of depression.

Caprahed – Empire

Pegah

“If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face—forever.” ― George Orwell, 1984

Abramelin – Sins Of The Father

SonikGoat

It’s always great to see how many people are actively engaged in talking about, sharing, name-dropping, and posting new music. It’s part of what makes underground scenes so rewarding—the word-of-mouth aspect of how music finds its way to the most receptive ears. Especially in a fast-moving, worldwide scene like Metal, a band can quickly ascend from relative obscurity to cult status, propelled by the rapid, viral nature of word-of-mouth “promotion”. These days, it feels like a great album by a band I’ve never encountered lands on my radar at least once a week, if not more.

Evilyn -Mondestrunken

I’ll give something to Evilyn—it has a cool band name. One that won’t make you suspect the ridiculous beatdown it can deliver. And what if I told you this is a “debut”? Could you believe a new band would compete in a year plagued with great Tech Death releases? Except Mondestrunken wasn’t written by amateurs. It features former members from Defeated Sanity, Psycroptic, and many others, which actually gives Evilyn the feeling of being a discreet superband. Cute, but Tech Death lives and dies by how exciting it is. Can this album stand out? We’ll see!

Solemn Ceremony – Chapter III

It’s Doom time! I know it might seem like we at MER have an anti-Doom agenda. Nothing could be further from the truth! However, this hasn’t been exactly the most Doom-filled year. That doesn’t mean we can’t run into interesting work. Look at what Solemn Ceremony brings to the table: rough and crusty music that promises to transport you to a much more relaxed world, away from the miseries of your anxious existence. Does it succeed, or can nothing save you from yourself? Slowly, we’ll find out.

Aquilus – Bellum II

You might be wondering why I’m writing a review for Aquilus‘s newest release, Bellum II, at this late stage. It’s not typical behavior for the catto. But you see, forming an opinion about Bellum II isn’t as straightforward as just listening to it once. There are layers to this mammoth of an album. My real question was whether it could even hold a candle to Griseus, the subgenre standard. Let’s find out!