Progressive Metal – Page 2 – Metal Eclipse Reviews

Mind:Field – An Atonement of Existence

Metalcatto

Here I am again, helping those who are making Metal with their bare hands and gaining promo points by basically sending us a nice presentation email. It’s incredible how good manners still get you far in life, kids! Anyway, Mind:Field is a one-man Prog/Death Metal project, and that’s just as promising as it is dreadful in a way. Will An Atonement of Existence be a refreshing show of creativity, or are we going to be left with nothing but excess and regret? Kind of the way you feel after you empty that bag of fries in less than five minutes. Hopefully, this will hurt my blood pressure less. It’s time!

Connect The Circle – Wolf in the Sky

Metalcatto

If you’ve been following us for a bit, you might think I’m just a Death/Black type of Metalhead. However, my beginnings in the Metalsphere are closer to Prog than anything else—and I mean the joyful type, 90s Prog! Which is why Connect the Circle caught my attention right away. Wolf in the Sky not only promised to be conceptual (it’s about a volcanic eruption!), but also to deliver that lost sound with a fresher touch. Am I being nostalgic for once? Maybe, but it’s my blog and I’ll do what I want!

Steegmoord – Mandatory

Metalcatto

At MER, we don’t have a policy against instrumental Metal—in fact, most of us would probably agree that it wasn’t the vocals that first made us fall in love with this weird genre. Steegmoord is an instrumental project that avoids both the shred-heavy and Djent-obsessed ends of the spectrum, and for me, that alone warrants a bit of attention. Sure, the artwork for Mandatory might look suspiciously similar to that of Redemptor, but if this album is even half as good as Arthaneum, I’d consider myself briefly satisfied with life.

Masseti – Odds and Ends

Metalcatto

As you know, nostalgia is part of the Metal life, but it’s usually more prevalent in Black and Death Metal. Power Metal doesn’t count because nothing has changed in 30 years. Masseti‘s Odds and Ends is offering retro-Prog Metal, and though the idea hits me right in the feels, since I used to be a huge fan of the style, I’m also concerned about how much of an ordeal it is to set up such a solo project. There’s an enormous risk of ending up in a cornfest, but we must have faith, right?

Vildhjarta – + där skogen sjunger under evighetens granar +

Metalcatto

It’d be a total understatement to say that Vildhjarta is a strange band. How can I explain it? You know how Meshuggah plays convoluted rhythms, but somehow there’s always a 4×4 groove going on in the drums? Well, forget about that here and get ready to embrace absolute rhythmic chaos — + där skogen sjunger under evighetens granar + is. I know, that name looks like main effects in a linear model (this is my nerdiest joke to date, I’m so proud!), but that only makes me more excited. We’re here to be surprised, right?

Dawn of Ouroboros – Bioluminescence

It’s a difficult task to define what type of Metal Dawn of Ouroboros likes to play. There seems to be a constant exchange between Melodic Death Metal, Progressive Metal, and Djent loudness values, all going hand in hand with songwriting that sometimes mimics more commercial acts. Hence, I was both puzzled and excited to jump into its newest release, Bioluminescence. Rarely has an album name been more fitting for the level of colorful chaos this album is about to throw at us. But is it good stuff, or are we going to feel overwhelmed by so much glitter?

Dream Theater – Parasomnia

Ha! I bet you didn’t see that coming, but yours truly was a Dream Theater fan. It was the band that got me into Prog, the band that got me into shredding, and the only Metal band Pappa Catto ever liked (it was the first concert ticket he ever got me!). However, it’s been almost 20 years since I truly enjoyed one of its albums. Ever since Portnoy left, the band hasn’t felt Metal enough for me, but now he’s back, and it’s time to find out if Parasomnia is the comeback I’ve always wanted or just more absurd wanking. Stay put!

True kvlt: Hell Winter, Rheûma & Haissem

It’s time! To show mercy to the underground and believe you people can send us quality. I’m starting to think that this intro paragraph should be made by an AI because you don’t really care about it, right? You’re just here to get a bunch of cool and quirky bands for your playlist, or maybe not—maybe you’ll actually open that wallet for once. Either way, we have a good mix of singles, EPs, and albums this time. Enjoy while you can!

SonikGoat’s Top Albums of 2024

SonikGoat

There are a couple of observations I can make about the albums I’ve chosen for my end-of-year lists. One relates to that most nebulous realm of terminology: the “progressive”. What this term means seems to vary from person to person and album to album, but the differences manifest in interesting ways. Take everyone else’s album of the year, Blood Incantation’s Absolute Elsewhere. The progressive element here lies largely in its bold combination of two distinct styles, blending Death Metal with what I’ll broadly call “vintage-flavored synth-driven Prog Rock”. Another album that adopts a progressive approach is Ontology of Nought by Ingurgitating Oblivion, but the results are markedly different. More on that below.

The other theme in my list this year is that several of the bands are well-established acts with multiple albums under their belts, yet I was either unaware of them or only barely familiar. I’m forever humbled by the sheer number of great musicians and bands I have yet to discover! Finding a band partway through their discography often feels like stumbling upon a treasure trove of musical riches.

Enough! On to the list. Eternal hails to the artists!

Metalcatto’s top artworks of 2024

Lunart & Metalcatto

It’s time for yours truly to give you a proper top list of something! Since you’ve been asking for one a zillion times on social media, I couldn’t say no. However, being a fervent supporter of the division of labor and a total snob, I’ve teamed up with Lunart—someone with an actual arts degree—to judge the best album art of the year. So, this isn’t just my peasant opinion; it’s also supported by the refined taste of someone who knows the field. That means you’ve got to bend the knee, right?

Before you lose it, yes, we’re aware many of the best works this year are adaptations of classical paintings. But let’s be real—that doesn’t take away from the incredible worlds they transport us to, especially when combined with the music. Let’s dive in!