Suffering so you don't have to!
Ixone
I think I’ve reached a point in my… listening of extreme metal if you will, where the wisest thing I can do is go against what my gut tells me about an album. What that actually translates as is: The more I put off listening to an album because I’m not sure that it will be good, the better that album is going to be when I actually manage to get over myself and actually listen to it. I guess that’s one way to avoid complacency in the realms of music… but I digress.
Metalcatto
Have you ever wondered what would happen if a Nu/Groove Metal band actually tried to be heavy? No? Well, me neither—but part of the reviewer’s job is to find things you weren’t even looking for (you get Post-Groove! Please make it stop!). And Noumenia – Echoes is exactly that. So my question before jumping into this wave of crystal-clear production is: is this album going to be Pantera good or Limp Bizkit bad? I’m almost equally afraid of both outcomes, but it’s time to give a chance to something slightly less from the sewers!
Welcome to a new section of the blog, where those who patreon/contribute to the site (see options below) get our most honest feedback possible. This is still a review, but it’s also aimed at telling the band what works—and what needs improvement.
Vicky
Folk Metal is a genre that most people consider to be limited strictly to Eluveitie, Korpiklaani, Arkona, Feuerschwanz, and a few other titans. But that’s not really the case. There are also numerous underground groups that certainly deserve your attention. One of them is the Italian Folk Metal act Aexylium. And it’s not trying to mimic any of the praised bands I have mentioned earlier, but it walks on its own path. So far, this means combining traditional Folk Metal instruments with enchanting symphonies and feeling – one that you have probably encountered before in Power Metal. At times, they even incorporate Technical Death Metal elements into their work (especially on the track “In Sorrow”). You may also find things specific to Brutal Death Metal on the title track.
Stargazer Scholar
The last thing we need is to add another branch to the ever-spreading tree of Heavy Metal subgenres. Yet I can’t help but think that many bands emerging over the last decade would fall neatly under the umbrella of Cathartic Black Metal. Something must have shifted in our perception of the world, and instead of the ever-venomous, devilish malice of the cold second wave, we arrived at a different kind of darkness. Bands like Mephorash, Mgła, or Schammasch spearheaded a more comprehensive approach to Black Metal, blending the cosmic and the personal in one existential cauldron. These bands may be different in their aesthetic direction and the subject matter of their lyrics, but the underlying urgency of their craft and the strength of emotions they evoke in the listener somehow make them a part of a movement.
Pegah
Tetramorphe Impure is a one-man Funeral Doom/Death Metal act based in northern Italy, led by multi-instrumentalist Damien. Originally formed in 2006 as a trio, the project eventually became Damien’s personal outlet. Musically, Tetramorphe Impure blends the crushing heaviness of Funeral Doom with the raw force of Old-School Death Metal and the somber textures of early Doom-Death. After a long period rooted in the underground scene, the project finally unveiled its first full-length album, The Sunset of Being.
I have two awkward confessions. First, I almost forgot we’ve got this promo because, well, I now get more emails than a professor on sabbatical. Second, though, Messa has always been interesting and engaging—it’s a band that never really caught me. It always felt like retro-Metal to me, but now that I give The Spin a spin (don’t hit me!), could my opinion finally change? The band has been at it for a while, but it’s never too late for me to start a redemption arc, right?
Pegah
Italian cosmic Doomgaze band Hermyth returns with its second album, Aether. In ancient science, “aether” is the fifth element—the essence that binds the other four, the very fabric of existence. Staying true to its name, Aether is a journey through transcendence, guidance, and spiritual ascension, woven into a rich tapestry of ethereal, grandiose, and melancholic soundscapes. The album’s cover art reflects this celestial mysticism, depicting an angel-like figure adrift among the stars against a vast black backdrop—evoking the feeling of being lost, or perhaps found, somewhere in the infinite cosmos.
Not many bands embody the saying “it was ahead of its time” like Sadist does. A band that has been crafting complex, quirky, and creative Progressive Death Metal since before many of us were born, it continues to push boundaries with its signature sound. Firescorched was a total hit in my eyes, proving once again that this project sounds like no other, and wherever it goes, its style remains undeniably unique. That said, Something to Pierce has a high bar to reach, and I find myself on the fence about it. I’ve been hurt too many times before to get my hopes up too quickly!
It’s time to reach for that battery acid left in the garage and take a few sips (notice I said sips). Sleep Paralysis is here to replicate that near-death experience in the weirdest ways possible, of course. It’s hard to pinpoint exactly what Sleep Paralysis is about, but your humble servant would be satisfied if this wacky thing is at least entertaining. That’s usually the case with anything Avant-Garde, but as the genre suggests, you never really know what you’re getting into.
Metal Eclipse Reviews 