Suffering so you don't have to!
Metalcatto
You know what I miss, people? Some direct Post-Black Metal. It’s been scarce this year. We’ve had a lot of blasting tremolo-picking, but what if I want the blasting to come with more suffering? Well, that’s what Belialed is trying to achieve with The Echoless Chasm. German Post-Black rarely disappoints. Everything here promises to be cathartic and devastating. Honestly, I can’t wait. So let’s jump into the misery blender.
Metalcatto
Can you believe that this is Asenheim‘s tenth album? I honestly can’t. Why haven’t we heard more about these musicians before now? Is it their marketing team’s fault? Is it our fault? I don’t know, but it’s time to try to fix that by reviewing Elbenblut. Besides, it’s been a while since we reviewed some Black/Folk—yesterday, technically—and you people can’t seem to get enough of this stuff. Let’s face it, you’re all a little geeky deep down. Shall we begin?
Milo Lane
There is a particular mindset required to sit down with a Casket record. Not preparation exactly — more like consent. An agreement with yourself that what follows will not ask politely, will not soften its edges, and will not care whether you are ready. Pressing play felt like anticipation braided tight with a certain resistance. I wanted this record. I knew I would also probably fight it.
Metalcatto
The shreddiest band in town is back. Alkaloid has never subscribed to the philosophy that less is more. If a song can unleash a barrage of every conceivable riff, why hold back? Yet its latest project, Bach Out of Bounds, showcases the band attempting something notably different—a more academic and classical approach. This is arguably the closest the band has ever come to crafting an acoustic album. I understand how that description might sound dreadful to some, but don’t stop reading, because things are about to get interesting.
Metalcatto
Unverkalt knows exactly how to grab my attention. A Post-Metal release on Season of Mist, with a German/Greek background and a French title like Héréditaire? That’s basically a checklist designed to lure me in. It sounds refined, a bit pretentious, and unapologetically artsy—and yes, I’m fully on board with that. So forgive me in advance if my expectations run slightly ahead of what an underground act can realistically deliver, but that’s what happens when the promo does its job well. Either way, let’s see how long it takes before we spiral into existential despair again.
Metalcatto
Obscurity has a long career, and I probably should’ve realized that sooner just by looking at the name. Seriously, how did nobody take it before? Anyway, Ascheregen is clearly meant to make us feel the pain and destruction of the world. Very uplifting stuff. That said, the album has a noticeable blend of death and post-metal elements that give it a more emotional edge than you might expect. On paper, that combination should work for me, and in practice… well, I genuinely wondered what the worst that could happen was. Turns out, not much in a bad way.
Vicky
There are times when I’m starting to feel as if I were a dad wearing an AC/DC T-shirt and wondering why the kids nowadays are big fans of Sleep Token. It’s stupid, I know, but Lord Of The Lost (LOTL, not LOTR, that is) brought that feeling back. Second listen in, and I’m still pretty unsure as to why this band is so popular. Basically, we are dealing with a band that somehow managed to pick up the strangest elements from Mono Inc., Lacrimosa, Deine Lakaien, and Depeche Mode. Blending those with some Electronic-infused Dark/Goth Rock, you get LOTL.
Elyna Khan
What follows dissonates with what I’m used to saying about music. I usually don’t write a single word if an album or a band’s work doesn’t fully connect with my sensibilities. But this time, I’ll make an exception: Æternia and their new album Into The Golden Halls. I’m doing it because sometimes we need to be sincere enough to admit that what first sounds like a great record… might not actually be one. And that it’s often smarter not to step into territories we haven’t mastered yet — no matter how much we want to experiment or push for artistic perfection, especially when we already do certain things really well.
Milo Lane
If you live in Europe, or you’ve been to Europe, you know it usually takes about four hours of driving to get from one city to another. But if you live in the Balkans, you know those same four hours can — and will — stretch into eight. You’ll crawl through traffic jams, bogs, boulders, mountains, and backroads, across endless fields and forests, all just to reach a city Blind Guardian might consider playing in.
Metalcatto
There’s something that many of you feel about German Black Metal. I’m not exactly sure what it is, but maybe it’s similar to what I feel about German Post/Black Metal. Yes, that’s a pretentious distinction to make, but hey — I’ve spent most of my reviewer life putting names to things, so you’ll have to put up with it for a bit. Pest is one of those classic Black Metal bands that, with Eternal Nightmares, promises consistency above all else. But the real question is: will this be fun, or just work? Let’s find out.
Metal Eclipse Reviews 