Doom Metal – Page 8 – Metal Eclipse Reviews

Lying Figures – Inheritance

Pegah

The French Melodic Death/Doom Metal band Lying Figures returns after a long hiatus with its new album, Inheritance. This time, Frédéric Simon (vocals & bass) and Matthieu Burgaud (guitars) guide us on a profound introspective journey, confronting emotions long buried or ignored. The album delves into deeply personal themes, exploring self-alienation, frustration, inner conflict, despair, and disorientation. These ideas are mirrored in the album cover, which portrays a dark, abandoned cityscape devoid of light, teetering on the brink of collapse. The inverted city hints at duality and the tension between mind and body, as well as a fractured sense of reality. The dominant red tones evoke intense emotions such as self-expression, aggression, and resilience, while birds and barren branches in the corners suggest life fleeing this desolate scene.

True kvlt: Soleil Noir, Ashlands, The Split & Faded Remembrance

Alright, my beloved readers (I’m in a good mood, so you get some love for once), it’s time to dig into the depths of the underground and dish out the love—or hate—these submissions deserve. You know the drill: some of these bands are working with the production value of a 2009 smartphone short film, but who cares? We’re here for what’s true and kvlt, not for petty concerns like beauty, right? Let’s get this firing squad ready!

Witnesses – Joy

Pegah

“Suppose that pleasure and pain are so intertwined that whoever wants as much as possible of the one must also have as much as possible of the other – that whoever wants to know ‘rejoicing to heaven’ must be prepared for ‘grieving onto death’ as well?“

― Friedrich Nietzsche

QAALM – Grave Impressions Of An Unbroken Arc

SonikGoat

Extreme Metal, in all its guises, seems to oscillate between two states: on one hand, the worship of the comfortingly familiar—usually through the repetitive perfection of rigid forms; on the other, the “outer limits” of Metal serve as a home to a ceaseless churning of these forms. 2024 has seen several excellent releases that together confirm that for every clutch of bands setting out to achieve perfection in older styles, there are those striving to take Metal in new, sometimes startling directions. Thus, we have Blood Incantation fusing ripping Death with the rich analog sounds of seventies Prog Rock and synth; Ingurgitating Oblivion pushing the envelope of avant-garde composition and technicality; or Iotunn fearlessly combining Prog innovation with Heavy Metal passion.

Barren – The Hanged Man

Pegah

Sometimes, carrying on, just carrying on, is the superhuman achievement.
― Albert Camus

IXION – Evolution

Alright, Metalcatto is back, and despite all my fellow reviewers covering this week’s epic releases (because deep down, I’m a generous bastard), I wanted to give something outside our usual comfort zone a chance. Have you ever heard of atmospheric, electronic Doom? I hadn’t either, which is why IXION’s Evolution grabbed my attention immediately. I knew the chances of me loving it were low, but you know what? Sometimes I get fed up with the “brahh… brahh… blastbeat, blastbeat, brahh brahhh,” and the French usually defy expectations. So, let’s go!

Ataraxie – Le Décline

Pegah

Le Déclin (meaning The Fall) is the sixth full-length album by the French Funeral Doom Metal band Ataraxie. However, its style isn’t confined to Doom Metal’s subgenres, as some tracks can be categorized as Progressive Death Metal. The first time I listened to Ataraxie, I was thrilled by the sudden changes in rhythms—shifting from calm, low-tempo, Doom-like rhythms to high-speed, Death-like blasts. Specifically, as a Funeral Doom Metal fan, you’ll be surprised by how, in the blink of an eye, they pull you out of the dreary, depressive atmosphere and thrust you into the cruel world, forcing you to face reality.

Swallow the Sun – Shining

Elased

Swallow the Sun is at a crossroads. The year 2024 marks the beginning of a new era for it. Just one glance at the cover of its new album Shining makes it unmistakably clear: everything is different from today! This is exciting and stirs curiosity, but it also has its downsides. So before we delve into the music, let me say a few words: Yes, I was also taken aback when I heard the first single for the first time—but I was even more shocked by the sometimes harsh and nasty comments that this and subsequent audio samples received from some “so-called fans”. Did Swallow the Sun deserve that? Absolutely not! Every musician has the right to artistic freedom and to express their own creativity—even if that means rethinking their previous style. Just think of bands like Anathema, Opeth, Katatonia, and so many others. And Swallow the Sun certainly hasn’t been treading water for nine albums either.

Immortal Bird – Sin Querencia

Stargazer Scholar

Immortal Bird has developed an especially vicious brand of Death Metal. Seasoned with Black, Sludge, and Crust undertones, its music is as intricate as it is pummeling. That being said, listeners were left to conjecture about the next step in the band’s evolution, as its previous full-length had already reached the respectable age of five. Personally, I was favoring a more progressive, sprawling approach, being an ardent appreciator of the lengthier tracks from the prior releases. You can imagine my surprise, then, when I received the promo for the long-awaited Sin Querencia and discovered that, contrary to my expectations and hopes, Immortal Bird opted for concision.

True kvlt: Bullhead, Grimworm & Negative Bliss

It’s that time of the week again, when we look at our inbox and feel infinite mercy for the little guy. When we say: enough with the clout-chasing, let’s talk about those who took the time to send us a respectful, well-written email. Even if we don’t reply directly, consider this our thoughtful response to your submission. This week, I have to admit, I’m pleasantly surprised by the quality of material we’ve received. So, let’s dive in!