Death Metal – Page 21 – Metal Eclipse Reviews

Vanhelgd – Atropos Doctrina

Vanhelgd‘s newest album, Atropos Doctrina, has everything a reviewer would expect from a Swedish death metal band: the hard-to-pronounce name, the paganism, the cool art. What’s not to like? If anything, I was just concerned that this album would be another consistent and dirty 40+ minutes of music from the north. I always say before starting these reviews: if I get another Swedish band that wants to sound like Entombed or Dismember, I’m going to score it below 2.5 (and get canceled by the metal world in the process, of course). So, is Vanhelgd going to get me banned from the socials again, or is there hope?

Oxygen Destroyer – Guardian of The Universe

Those of you who voted in our Instagram poll get what you wanted. It wasn’t a full majority, but no election gets that these days. So, to surprise you, I dug deep into my inner child to bring you Oxygen Destroyer‘s newest album, Guardian of the Universe. It has freaking Gamera, Mothra, and Megalon-like monsters on the cover! How could it get any weirder and cooler at the same time? (Can we finally get Gamera and Gozilla to fight each other? Japan, make it happen!) I know, the real question is: can you take this album seriously? Join us on this trip through the ruins left by unknown creatures!

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Interview with Tony Petrocelly from Construct of Lethe: Metal and mental health

Welcome back, everyone! I’ve hinted on many occasions that this section will mostly focus on interviewing people in unconventional parts of the Metal scene. However, at MER, we’re also strong advocates for mental health, and if you haven’t listened to A Kindness Dealt in Venom, you should. It’s a harrowing journey through the demons inside most of us. I met Tony in the most ironic way: he texted me to correct an enormous mistake in our Construct of Lethe review. He was understanding, and I could tell he was someone with a great eye for detail. Given the personal nature of this album, I couldn’t help but invite him for an interview.

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Retro-review: Opeth – Morningrise

The year is 1996. The Bosnian War ends, leaving Europe in moral shambles, Dolly the Sheep becomes the first mammal ever cloned, Hotmail is launched, and Tupac gets shot. Right, the Metal! It was a good year for depressing albums and for bands that were underground darlings but would soon rise to become the next big thing. Iconic work from Cradle of Filth, Emperor, and In Flames marked the cusp of Europe becoming an extreme Metal powerhouse. Today, we’re going to talk about an album from a band that would change the scene forever: Opeth’s Morningrise. Love it or hate it, we have to ask, is it still worth your time?

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Piah Mater – Under the Shadow of a Foreign Sun

I can’t recall how The Wondering Daughters came to me. Probably it was a video recommending underground bands. Either way, Piah Mater managed to fill the void Opeth left in me when it decided to become a grandpacore band. Piah Mater was almost the missing link between Enslaved and Opeth. Even though you could feel it was copying those bigger bands, it was still great Prog Death/Black Metal, and that is hard to find. For years, I waited, and now I’m so excited to review Under The Shadow of The Foreign Sun. My expectations are high, and disappointment is always a possibility, but I’m diving in! Watch me!

Retro-Review: Death – Human

Welcome to Retro-Reviews, a space where I indulge in my own nostalgic reveries, reminiscing about a time that never truly existed, but one that I’ve crafted through various random albums that hold significance for me. Whether good or bad, one thing is certain: remembering can be a bittersweet journey.

Obscene – Agony & Wounds

Oh wow! Take a look at that cover art! It looks more disgusting than the last time I checked your browsing history (did you actually think the VPN would protect you? Cute!). Obscene brings us its newest release soon, Agony & Wounds. It’s unadulterated Death Metal that promises to throw you into a sea of gore and unpleasant body fluids. This all sounds sexy, but you know gory Death Metal is over-explored, especially after the lovely mayhem of 2023. Still, let’s see if Obscene has anything to offer, shall we?

True kvlt: Embers Ignite, Hell In the Skies, Arkan Al’Fawda, The Impending Blindess

Here we go again! We have a few EPs and albums submitted by you, our beloved readers who keep our hearts pumping but bring no food to our tables (how do you feel about that, you freeloaders?). That’s okay, I’ll forgive you for now… let the judging begin!

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KVAEN – The Formless Fire

KVAEN has been the underground’s darling for a while now. Needless to say, yours truly is a fan of the previous two albums, where KVAEN showcases speed, durability, heaviness, and exceptional songwriting that combines the best of old and new Black Metal. I think I speak for many when I say the expectations for The Formless Fire are huge, and the mightiest band from Kalix (the North of the North) has a monumental task ahead of it. However, this has been a good year for unrealistic expectations, so let’s keep it going, ok?

True kvlt – The Giant Baba, Eisige Venen, JAELYN, June 1974, Ghost Frog and Crystal Sun

In today’s edition of True kvlt, we’re featuring an insane variety of bands and styles. You might think I’m trying to spam you mercilessly, and you’re sort of right. However, they’re all singles! So, if you put them all together, it’ll take the same amount of time that you would otherwise waste watching cat videos instead of doing something productive with your life, like exploring the deep underground. You know It’s time!