Suffering so you don't have to!
Metalcatto
Surprised, mothertruckers. You didn’t know that Spirit Adrift was going to release something today, but I did, because finally being well-connected pays off. Infinite Illumination is meant to give us that Doom and Heavy Metal mix the band has become famous for. Just look at that artwork—doesn’t it bring Nightfall vibes to you? But with more “spiritual substances”? Alright, let’s see if this album can meet the band’s previous epic work.
Metalcatto
Finally, a band with a good name—or at least one that makes me feel like the members take their work kind of seriously. It’s been a while since we’ve had some proper Death/Doom, so why not give Golgotha a chance. I have some illusions for Hubris. Let’s see if I don’t end up more let down than a kid who doesn’t meet a rollercoaster’s height requirements.
Metalcatto
Spain isn’t particularly known for its Doom Metal. That doesn’t mean it’s bad, but it does mean that Solnegre‘s Anthems For The Grand Collapse arrives with little pre-existing noise around it, which honestly feels more like a gift than a curse. I’m approaching this thing with no preconceptions or prejudices, just expecting to get trashed in all the right ways. However, Death/Doom can be so derivative at times that there’s still some level of worry lurking in my dark heart. Let’s see if that concern was justified.
Metalcatto
What? Another again? Well, you’re sending too much stuff. I’m trying to keep up!
Metalcatto
If you thought Highgate‘s Prophecies of Eternal Doom was a Speed Metal album, then I don’t know what you’re doing with your life. However, if you thought it sounded like Doom, then you figured out something ridiculously obvious. Good for you. Anyway, how about we dive into this pool filled with pee and despair? You first.
Metalcatto
Hrob isn’t for people who want to have a good time. What do I mean by that? Well, if you listen to thirty seconds of Brána Chladu, you’ll understand right away that the band is trying to inflict as much emotional damage as possible. Just like your parents. Anyway, I wasn’t ready for this sorrowful ride, but that doesn’t mean I was going to chicken out.
Metalcatto
With a band name that would make you think of Stoner Rock or your last visit to the dentist, Lord of Confusion sounds nothing like either. Their album The Weight of Life is in principle an eclectic work trying to live in that space between Doom and Post-Metal, which means things are going to move slowly, but toward the most comforting kind of anxiety one could have. That made no sense, so let’s get to it.
Metalcatto
You could certainly argue that my Doom Metal bias leans heavily toward the most depressing and suffocating end of the spectrum. I don’t cover enough Epic Doom, and that’s a fair criticism. But let me pose a question: what if you didn’t have to choose between crushing depression and epic grandeur? What if an album could be simultaneously brutal and majestic? Can that even work? I honestly didn’t know, but that was precisely the proposition Mammon’s Throne put forward with its new album, My Body to The Worms (an uplifting title, right?). My only real hope was that this wouldn’t simply be a carbon copy of Hooded Menace—I mean, just look at that artwork!
Metalcatto
Depression! Now that I have your attention, I know you might be wondering if In Ruins‘ album artwork does justice to the music contained within. Just look at it; I haven’t seen such genuinely miserable, hollow faces since the Soviet Union was still a functioning state. That is precisely why this new album, We Are All To Perish, should hit us harder than discovering our favorite band is playing in town only to find tickets sold out in seconds. Anyway, dry your tears elsewhere, because we need to review this agonizing ride.
Metal Eclipse Reviews 