Sometimes I wonder what Atmospheric Black Metal would sound like if anyone actually knew or cared how to produce it. Enter Beleth’s Trumpet‘s Chapel of Bones, a band seemingly interested in doing old-school Black Metal that doesn’t sound like French fries fried out of existence. It also happens to be a Finnish band, and despite my best efforts to find some drama, it remains properly mysterious. Time will tell if that’s a good or bad thing. Anyway, let’s dive into this swirling mass of malevolence and static noise.
Traditional wouldn’t be the way I’d describe our approach at MER Industries. If anything, I make sure our writers review things that sound new and fresh simply because I hate the past. However, sometimes you have to stop and see how far we’ve come in time. Enter Patchwork, a band that tries to bring a Heavy and Thrash approach from the 80s into our era with Scars. Are you ready for some nostalgic riffs? I’m not, but I can be soon! Let’s do this.
We all know that Metal is a melting pot (some people in the Black Metal community live in a fantasy, though), and we’ve seen our fair share of Folk Metal. However, how many times have you seen a band mix Grindcore with Nepali culture? Never, right? Well, that’s what Chepang promises in Jhyappa—a blasting and merciless delivery with some added detail and depth. But does it work? I was fairly skeptical. Let’s be real, this combination sounded like eating a chocolate cake with nachos on it—but who knows, maybe that’s also good. Let’s go!
Discovering incredible bands is one of the perks of being a zine reviewer. You receive the promos in your email, put on your headphones, press play, and the journey begins. Little by little, in every note, every chord, every cut, you discover pieces of yourself. The blood begins to pump strongly to your heart, filling your chest with a comforting warmth and imbuing you with an intense, luminous energy that simply leaves you happy.
Whether you like it or not, we live in an interconnected world, where people end up being or living in places they didn’t plan to be in the first place. Enterré Vivant is a French project. However, its creator has been living in Japan for 25 years, so it wouldn’t be wrong to call him at least part Japanese—which is why Akuzaï got my attention. How would French/Japanese Black Metal sound? Is it going to be a cheap gimmick, or is it going to take the best of both worlds? Let’s see.
It’s been a while since we checked out some Thrash. I must say, this year hasn’t been all that bad in that area, but Thrash comes and goes in waves, and this one hasn’t impressed all that much yet. Yes, Stargazer liked the new Warbringer, but I was just OK with it. However, Executionist is debuting with Sacrament of the Sick, and I’m always in the mood to give young bands the opportunity to surprise me—even if it rarely happens. The real question is: will this project have anything novel to add to one of the most explored styles in Metal?
…And Oceans has had a quiet and interesting return from the dead. It even released As in Gardens, So in Tombs, an album that could’ve made it to any serious ranking in 2023. It was a fascinating take on rough MeloBlack that borrowed heavily from ’90s Swedish Black Metal, yet still carried its own deeply depressing and personal touch. So here we are with The Regeneration Itinerary, and hopefully the album will keep regenerating (yes, pun intended) the band’s renewed career. Otherwise, I’m strong enough to be disappointed. Let’s get to it, kids.
I can’t speak for my fellow reviewers here, but I’ve gotten a lot of stinkers lately — oh, sorry, is that not diplomatic? At least I’m giving no names! However, there was something about Drouth that made me think there might be hope for something fresher this time. The Teeth of Time had all the signs of apparent validity: long tracks, but balanced between Black and Death Metal; cool art and title; but mostly, the band is from Portland, Oregon — a place Extreme Metal owes a lot to. But I’m under no illusion about how badly expectations can betray you. Let’s go!
The Teeth of Time has that raw, organic production that’s become part of the Portland scene. However, you can still appreciate everything that’s going on, so for those of you who like authenticity and actual dexterity, you’ll have a blast — assuming being swallowed into a tornado of anguish and anxiety is your definition of fun. Drouth is a band that takes itself seriously and has no problem staying in a place that would make the average Metal noob very uncomfortable. Yet this is all balanced with bleak details that add emotional depth to the journey.
The vocals are wild, jumping between growling and shrieking. It’s hard to put a single label on The Teeth. Sometimes, it felt like I was listening to Downfall of Gaia mixed with Fall of Rauros and Spectral Wound; other times, it leaned more into old Tomb Mold territory — and yet, there are moments of Melodic Death Metal here too. Don’t let its primal first assault fool you: Drouth has crafted something that genuinely defied my expectations. It’s not often you find an album that sounds evil and tragic at the same time. I believe a lot of that comes down to the diverse guitar work throughout, which resists being pinned to just one idea or formula.
I usually don’t enjoy this kind of basement Metal as much as I’ve enjoyed The Teeth. However, if you’re not paying close attention to its detail, it won’t be all that engaging. The album isn’t long, but the tracks are — especially when the high-pitched shrieking comes in, things can feel particularly jarring. So while the pacing has its bumps, it’s not a major issue. Still, I’d like to see Drouth explore more of its melancholic side, especially when opening tracks. The intros, particularly around the middle of the album, are a bit too conservative.
The best albums are the ones that surprise me in some way. Or maybe that’s just the opinion of someone who’s reviewed hundreds of records and is dying for a little sugar in their bland porridge. Either way, that’s what we’ve got here. It might not be for everyone, but Drouth is clearly trying to catch us off guard — and for once, I’m all in.
At MER, we mostly review music that’d make your friends call your shrink more than once — or, well, music that’s doing its best to give Stravinsky a run for his money. However, sometimes your humble servant is fed up with deciphering what the heck is going on and just wants to sit back and headbang like a peasant. Tetrarch’s The Ugly Side of Me (so edgy!) promises to keep it fun, cool, and simple for once. And I, for once, hope that’s what we get out of this Nu-Metal nostalgia trip.
Behemoth is a band with many faces. Just check out our rankings here and here to see what I mean. That said, I’d argue we’re now deep into the band’s edgelord era—where the music has remained relatively stable, while the lyrics and aesthetics have pushed harder toward controversy. Whether that approach works is up for debate. For me, the real issue is that Behemoth seems too comfortable in its sound and achievements. That’s why I approached The Shit ov God with caution, though still with a shred of hope.
Metal Eclipse Reviews 