Finland – Page 2 – Metal Eclipse Reviews

…And Oceans – The Regeneration Itinerary

Metalcatto

…And Oceans has had a quiet and interesting return from the dead. It even released As in Gardens, So in Tombs, an album that could’ve made it to any serious ranking in 2023. It was a fascinating take on rough MeloBlack that borrowed heavily from ’90s Swedish Black Metal, yet still carried its own deeply depressing and personal touch. So here we are with The Regeneration Itinerary, and hopefully the album will keep regenerating (yes, pun intended) the band’s renewed career. Otherwise, I’m strong enough to be disappointed. Let’s get to it, kids.

Lordi – Limited Deadition

Any of you who have been following the blog for the last year know two things: a) I hate nostalgia, and b) I believe the 80s are overrated in every artistic aspect. This is why Lordi’s Limited Deadition had such a hard task convincing me to even give it a chance. Besides, this is the only Metal band that won Eurovision decades ago, so with a mix of admiration and repulsion, I recalled that the point of being a reviewer is to explore horrors we never thought we’d encounter—to leave the comfort of my sauna and see what we’re up against next.

Vermillia – Karsikko

Stargazer Scholar

The world was a different place seven years ago. At least when it comes to its currently troubled corner that I happen to inhabit. No joys of pestilence, no thrills of societal cataclysms, just life in all its glorious bleakness and naive hopefulness. It was a genuinely decent time. I’ve seen worse. And it was in that relatively peaceful summer of 2018 that I stumbled upon an album premiere video by a certain one-woman Pagan Black Metal project from Finland. The artist’s name was Vermilia, the record was entitled Kätkyt, and it took me about a song and a half to fall in love, pause the stream, relocate to her Bandcamp page, and click “order”. That’s how I became a fan. Years rolled by, and here we are in 2025, with Vermilia’s third LP fresh from the metaphorical oven and waiting to be discovered.

Dawn of Solace – Affliction Vortex

Last year, we already had Saukkonen visiting us with Wolfheart, but this year, Dawn of Solace is back with Affliction Vortex, promising a tempest of sadness and melancholy with the signature Finnish sound. I don’t know how this man stays so productive, but we’ve learned that the more pressure and projects he has going on, the better the product. Also, since Dawn of Solace’s duo returned, they’ve probably been the most consistent of all his projects. Hence, I do have some discrete expectations. Don’t blame me—this is my guilty pleasure!

Havukruunu – Tavastland

Yes, I decided to be early with this one. Those who know the game understand that Havukruunu has become one of the hidden gems of the Black/Folk Metal scene. It’s the less dramatic but more aggressive Moonsorrow style that, for many, was exactly what Folk Metal needed to stop being a gimmicky parody of the genre, where all those bagpipes and accordions in choruses were getting a bit old. I wasn’t sure what to expect from Tavastland, but does it deliver? Let’s find out.

Sepulchral Curse – Crimson Moon Evocations

Oh wow! We already have a new Sepulchral Curse album. It feels like yesterday when the band released Abhorrent Dimensions. So far, I only have good things to say about this Finnish pack—they deliver massive and evil Death Metal with zero remorse. However, it’s always been evident to me that the band could take another path. Maybe in Crimson Moon Evocations, the Finns will show us old-school Death Metal in a different way. Or maybe I’m just being hopeful…

Retro-Review: Thaurorod – Anteinferno

Elyna Kahn

It is the year of our Lord 2013. The world bid farewell to Nelson Mandela, the South African leader who championed the fight against apartheid and racial injustice. In Southeast Asia, Typhoon Haiyan wreaked havoc, claiming over 6,000 lives in the Philippines. Meanwhile, in Bangladesh, the tragic collapse of the Rana Plaza building resulted in more than 1,000 fatalities. Right, the Metal…

Adamantra – Act III: Pareidolia of Depravity

Elyna Kahn

Are you familiar with the words “Pareidolia” and “Depravity”? Pareidolia refers to a psychological phenomenon where the human mind perceives faces in random images, lights, and shadows. A good example is the classic emoji, known worldwide due to social media. When keyboard characters combine, we see a face expressing a specific emotion, though it is merely signs arranged in a certain manner. We attribute that combination of signs to a particular facial expression and emotion.

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.

Ensiferum – Winter Storm

Elyna Kahn

Ensiferum will release its highly anticipated album Winter Storm soon! Renowned for its Melodic Death Metal sound, the band has built a successful career since forming in 1997. The 2020 album Thalassic achieved significant success, propelling Ensiferum to world tours before the pandemic ruined everything. Now, four years later, the band is back with Winter Storm, an album that promises to captivate fans with its powerful blend of Viking Folk Metal and evolved melodic elements.