progressive-metal – Page 2 – Metal Eclipse Reviews

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!

Ulcerate – Cutting the Throat of God

I’ve been delaying this more than you delay your work emails, but the time has come. If there’s one band that can consistently compete for album of the year awards on any platform, it’s Ulcerate. They’ve done it with every single album since Everything is Fire and kept it going until Stare Into Death and Be Still. Ulcerate never holds back and can only compete with itself. So, you’d be right to think that my expectations for Cutting the Throat of God are so out of proportion that I should call my therapist soon, but before I get sent back to rehab, just read this.

Hyppotraktor – Stasis

A few months back, I was minding my own business, which means critiquing papers others wrote because they weren’t up to par… right, you don’t need to know that. Either way, in the middle of that bloodbath, a friend sent me Meridian and I thought nothing of it after listening to the first track. But then I listened to the second and the third. Something had clicked. Hippotraktor (that name…) was different; it was as if The Ocean and Meshuggah had a hipster child. Hence, my expectations for Stasis were high, and that’s always a problem, or is it?

True kvalt – Seagull Cry – Toreador & Nyrak – Devourer of All

You know the drill! Raw and unpolished bands from the abyss. So, just get in or join the cat cult.

Unleash The Archers – Phantoma

The year is 2004, and Power Metal has reached its peak as an art form. Bands like Sonata Arctica, Kamelot, and Blind Guardian have released their best work to date, and the future looks bright. You were either young and happy back then or just not born yet. Fast forward to 2024, and Power Metal has become the laughing stock of the Metal community. You either hate yourself or hate your job. However, amidst this decline, Unleash The Archers stands as one of the few Power/Prog Metal bands that still has something fresh to offer. With epic albums like Apex or Abyss, it keeps the flame alive. The real question is, can Phantoma beat these modern classics?