canada – Page 2 – Metal Eclipse Reviews

Spiritbox – Tsunami Sea

If we go back to 2021, most of you were locked into your homes, thinking about how many shows were left to watch before the total apocalypse consumed us. However, that wasn’t the only surprise of the year. We got Eternal Blue, an album that put Spiritbox on the map as one of the new ambassador bands (bands that bring newcomers into the genre). Being such a band can deeply divide the Metal world, which is why Tsunami Sea is one of the most anticipated—and dreaded—releases of 2025. I’ll be honest, I enjoyed the debut as much as anyone, but I understood its limitations. So, where does Tsunami Sea stand?

Sacrifice – Volume Six

You know what we haven’t done this year? Review some fresh Tmehrash! I don’t know when the genre died again, but not so long ago, it was booming with ideas. At least last year, we got this beast. However, Sacrifice – Volume Six seems to aim for the more traditional side of the genre, where relentless pummeling and intense energy are the name of the game. You could even say they don’t make them like this anymore, so how about we dive into this modern relic?

Nepenthe – The Fading Promise of Tomorrow & Elegies of Loss and Doom

SonikGoat

I discovered Nepenthe shortly after writing my review of its labelmates, QAALM, and its mighty offering, A Grave Impression of an Unbroken Arc, under Hypaethral Records. Having found in that album an excellent blend of styles, the description of this Ontario-based band was enough to pique my interest. Would they manage to incorporate these diverse styles into a cohesive blend of their own?

Panzerfaust – The Suns of Perdition – Chapter IV: To Shadow Zion

There you can see it: Prometheus carrying the weight of our world, of our sins! There aren’t many bands that portray war like Panzerfaust. It’s not just the horror and immorality of it, but also its symbolism. This band gets that, which is why reaching the end of this tetralogy feels bittersweet. Who else has ever pulled this off? Four albums exploring a single concept with such depth? Maybe only Obscura with its cosmological tetralogy. Anyway, last time Panzerfaust released something, I had my concerns. Let’s see if The Suns of Perdition – Chapter IV: To the Shadow of Zion proves me wrong.

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.

Hell is Other People – Moirae

Let’s face it: Post/Black Metal has won the extreme music war. It doesn’t matter where I go; there are at least 20 Post/Black bands making everything around them a valley of tears and sorrow. That brings me to today’s guest, Hell is Other People. With a name clearly inspired by Huis Clos, I couldn’t let it pass! I love my Black Metal existentialist, and that’s what Moirae seemed to promise. Rarely have I been this interested in finding no way out of a painful situation, but that’s what extreme music does to the soul! Anyway, it’s judgment time!

Spectral Wound – Songs of Blood and Mire

There are few albums that have been relentlessly hyped on social media like Spectral Wound‘s Songs of Blood and Mire. Sure, I’ve liked what this band has released before, but the implicit pressure to check out this one has been a remarkable feat of marketing by whoever handles its promotions. Either way, you’re probably here after reading countless reviews that beat me to the punch, all of which have hyped you to death. Now you’re just wondering: Am I going to crush your expectations or make you even more ravenous for the release date? Watch and learn.

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!

Anciients -Beyond the Reach of The Sun

Aeons ago, I had the luck of discovering Voices of the Void, and it spoke to me! How could a band summon the spirit of Mastodon and Opeth simultaneously? Anciients was a Prog Metal fan’s fantasy come true. However, I felt perfection still eluded the project. This is why Beyond the Reach of the Sun has created high expectations in me this time. I feel this band is so close to being the next big thing in Prog, and even if it falls short, whatever it delivers will be amazing and full of tasty riffs, right? I want to believe! Join me on this journey of illusions that could end in heartbreak and unfathomable drinking.

Liminal Shroud – Visions of Collapse

I’d like to tell you one of my romantic stories about how I ran into Liminal Shroud, but that’d be lying more than usual. I was looking for discounts on Bandcamp and saw that Through the False Narrows was cheap, so I bought it after listening to one track. It was solid Black Metal with Prog touches. The same could be said about All Virtues Ablaze. Hence, Visions of Collapse has a difficult task ahead: overcoming solid albums that, without much drama, have solidified the band’s reputation as a respectable act. Hopefully, this won’t ruin it. Let’s go!