progressive-metal – Metal Eclipse Reviews

Severed Angel – When Eternity Ends

The other writers at MER Industries will have you believing that I’m all about Power Metal and old-fashioned Prog Metal, despite evidence like this and this to prove otherwise. However, I’ll admit it’s fun to joke about those styles. That said, sometimes a band comes along that makes me question my prejudices and encourages me to be more open-minded. Such is the case with Severed Angel’s When Eternity Ends. An album that promises traditional Prog Metal without making me feel like I’m betraying my Metalhead roots—but does it deliver? Stay with me!

Dessiderium – Keys to the Palace

Vicky

I have to mention that I’ve listened to this album about twenty times in the past week or so, which means that I’ve had time to view it from various different angles. The first thing you may notice is the album cover, which resembles something you might see in The Lord of the Rings. However, you probably understand from the beginning that we are talking about something that Frodo Baggins probably wouldn’t listen to on his way to Mordor.

True kvlt: Revelation, Fourth Autumn, Onioroshi & Midnight Whiskey Massacre

Pegah & Metalcatto

It’s another session of Weekly Rapid Fire! Some of our readers sent us stuff, and we’ve been through the pain… I mean, the joy of listening to it live and then writing a paragraph or two so the hungry masses can quench their thirst for brutality for another 20 seconds. That’s not much, but it’s something. Alright, let’s get started—I don’t have all day!

Best Progressive Metal Albums of 2024

Metalcatto

For the real elitists, Prog is the superior kind of music (I suspect they have no experience with microtonal music, though. That’s the real deal!). I could say that Prog has many faces and all that nonsense I end up saying for every style, but in this list, I tried to go exactly for that. Each one of these albums is a different take on the shreddy mess Prog can be. Shall we begin?

Halloween releases: Kvelstimer & Mythbegotten

Halloween is almost here, and for all those into Metal, that means it’s time to celebrate. It doesn’t matter if you’re in Iowa or Ulaanbaatar. If there’s an excuse for a Metalhead to dress up and indulge in melodramatic obsessions with the obscure and occult, they’ll take it. So, today, we’re diving into two releases coming out this October 31st. Let’s see if they fit the vibe—but let’s be real, you’re always in the mood for something decadent and evil, aren’t you? I thought so.

Iotunn – Kinship

Stargazer scholar

Some bands deserve more than a simple review. Some albums deserve an elegy. It is well-nigh impossible to give a verbal description to the whirling tangle of emotions they evoke, but this is why music exists in the first place – to channel sentiments that evade other mediums of expression. In a hopeless attempt to perceive the divine machinery of art, we can only aspire to arouse curiosity in others with the humble means at our disposal. And it is with this hope that I bid you welcome to the world of Iotunn‘s Kinship.

Releases that almost fell through the cracks: Vile Rites, Pythonic, Hvile I Kaos

The stressful life of a reviewer leads to many tragic mistakes. Some come in the form of missing releases or forgetting about newer acts. Hence, I’m here attempting to sink the ocean with my ship’s cannons (totally pointless, yes) and give attention to some of the many bands that hit MER’s mailbox every day. It’ll never be over, but consider this a futile act of redemption. Rarely have we seen such a strange constellation of bands in the same article, which is always fun, right? Say yes!

Bragging Rights – Small Gods

Maybe we’ll do this more often—giving acts from the deep underground a full platform, as long as they send stuff in advance. Bragging Rights (the name cracks me up) is a project that, by looking at its cover art, you’d think was satirical. I wasn’t quite sure if this meant the album was going to be deeply serious or just troll me harder than this. Either way, I came in with a better disposition than usual because I was on vacation and felt like humanity deserved a chance again (I can’t wait for them to let me down…). Alright, let’s see what Small Gods puts on the table.

Retro-Review: Gojira- From Mars to Sirius

Welcome to Retro-Reviews, a space where I indulge in my own nostalgic reveries, reminiscing about a time that never truly existed, but one that I’ve crafted through various random albums that hold significance for me. Whether good or bad, one thing is certain: remembering can be a bittersweet journey.

Join the cat cult here

Piah Mater – Under the Shadow of a Foreign Sun

I can’t recall how The Wondering Daughters came to me. Probably it was a video recommending underground bands. Either way, Piah Mater managed to fill the void Opeth left in me when it decided to become a grandpacore band. Piah Mater was almost the missing link between Enslaved and Opeth. Even though you could feel it was copying those bigger bands, it was still great Prog Death/Black Metal, and that is hard to find. For years, I waited, and now I’m so excited to review Under The Shadow of The Foreign Sun. My expectations are high, and disappointment is always a possibility, but I’m diving in! Watch me!