Suffering so you don't have to!
I first want to start by warning that this review requires serious consideration. Suicide is no joke, and if you joke or bully people about it, we’ll find you. Hence, I’ve been delaying my take on Construct of Lethe‘s A Kindness Dealt in Venom. First, my underpaid interns have been struggling with your requests, and second, I didn’t want to review something that approaches such a serious matter in an exploitative way (not the case here, fortunately). But let’s focus on the music, shall we?
When you spend a lot of time reviewing albums, it’s easy to overlook the more modest releases that can still offer quality despite arriving with less fanfare. That’s why I’ve combined two completely different projects in one article, to provide some good or bad publicity to these EPs that reached us without much pretense (see kids? A bit of humility can take you far in life). So, let the mayhem begin!
I’ve been delaying this more than you delay your work emails, but the time has come. If there’s one band that can consistently compete for album of the year awards on any platform, it’s Ulcerate. They’ve done it with every single album since Everything is Fire and kept it going until Stare Into Death and Be Still. Ulcerate never holds back and can only compete with itself. So, you’d be right to think that my expectations for Cutting the Throat of God are so out of proportion that I should call my therapist soon, but before I get sent back to rehab, just read this.
As you know, Northern Europe is legendary for its Metal production. Each country has its niche. Norway excels in old-school Black and Avant-Garde, Sweden in Death and Black, Iceland in Black and Post, and Finland is pretty much good at everything. Did I miss anyone? Ah, right, there’s Denmark, known for…Mercyful Fate? A few underground bands? (I love you, Saturnus!) Awkward, but there’s one band in the last decade that has come to restore Danish honor: Hyperdontia. Today, we’re talking about Harvest of Malevolence. Er du klar? Ready?
Sometimes, I check my spam emails because the universe always dumps the most important releases there. The Omega Swarm looked like any other promo at first. Sure, it had cool cover art, but there wasn’t much more to say right away. However, when I read that this band is closely linked to probably the most interesting Lovecraft-inspired band ever, Sulphur Aeon (don’t worry, I know about The Great Old Ones; they’re also at the top), I decided to avoid the summer sunlight again and just lose myself in Crimson Demise. So, is it an abyss of despair or just as meh as Lovecraft’s writing style? Let’s find out!
You know the drill! Raw and unpolished bands from the abyss. So, just get in or join the cat cult.
Today, we have a special issue. We’ve received a ridiculous amount of underground submissions. This makes my black heart almost beat. However, some of the work we got is too short to demand a whole article. Hence, we’ve combined them in a format similar to this one. Anyway, have fun digging deep into the evil underground. The rapid-fire session starts now!
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.
One of our underpaid interns told me that we had received an independent promo worth my full attention. Of course, I told them they were out of their minds and proceeded to cut them off without mercy because the Catto runs this site like the colonial powers used to run Africa—with a complete disregard for human decency. Either way, I gave Unhallowed Deliverance‘s Of Spectres and Strife a chance because the cover art looked legit (in Metal, always judge an album by its art). So, was it worth my time?
Transcending Obscurity has become the label for Tech Death. In whatever shape you like it, they probably have a band that can play as technical, as fast, or as disgusting as you need it. Enter Swelling Repulsion (nice name, by the way), an act that has a difficult task: to stand out in a year full of impressive Tech Death (see The Last of Lucy’s Godform or Replicant). In its newest effort, Fatally Misguided (just like you making career choices), the band is attempting to show that it has a different proposal for you, but is it even possible to get out of the comfort zone? Notice that Tech Death relax time is still the most stressful moment in the lives of 90% of musicians.
Metal Eclipse Reviews 