Suffering so you don't have to!
Alright, people, this isn’t going to be our usual review because Melted Bodies is a band so strange and out-of-pocket (in the best way!) that I’m still trying to wrap my head around The Inevitable Fork. Like, what even is that album title? What does it mean? If you think the band is as bizarre as its album art suggests, let me tell you—yes, but maybe not in the way you’d expect. I’ll elaborate a bit to guide you through this journey into the depths of absurdity.
Stargazer scholar
Norway’s 1349 has been consistent in proving that maintaining the unholy spirit of Black Metal doesn’t require stagnation. Starting out as self-professed adherents of a more traditionalist approach, the band has since explored Dark Ambient and Thrash, all without compromising its blackened credentials. While some of its work has been divisive—particularly the more experimental, droning side, which received mixed reactions from the genre’s more conservative audience—the band has pressed on with unfaltering zeal and grim determination. At this point in 1349‘s career, one thing is certain: the new opus is dark, uncompromising, and extreme. Its final form, however, remains to be seen, so let’s discover The Wolf and the King together.
Let’s face it: Post/Black Metal has won the extreme music war. It doesn’t matter where I go; there are at least 20 Post/Black bands making everything around them a valley of tears and sorrow. That brings me to today’s guest, Hell is Other People. With a name clearly inspired by Huis Clos, I couldn’t let it pass! I love my Black Metal existentialist, and that’s what Moirae seemed to promise. Rarely have I been this interested in finding no way out of a painful situation, but that’s what extreme music does to the soul! Anyway, it’s judgment time!
Pegah
“There are certain sores in life that, like a canker, gnaw at the soul in solitude and diminish it. Since generally it is the custom to attribute these incredible sufferings to the realm of rare and singular accidents and happenings, it is not possible to speak about them to others“.
― Sadegh Hedayat, The Blind Owl
Is it sarcastic to drop an album named Summer in autumn, with that cover art? It sure feels like a provocation for those of us who are about to not see the sun for months. Anyway, we’re here to judge the music, not the sense of humor. Valletta promises something rooted in the past but, at the same time, fresh. The band might be relatively new on the scene, but its members are experienced and ready to show us what dirty Black N’ Roll has to offer. Let’s move!
In 2022, Devenial Verdict released Ash Blind, an album that was among the best I found that year. So, you can imagine that when I heard Blessing of Despair was coming out this year, I was more excited than the last time Transcending Obscurity did a “name your price” digital sale (I’m not hinting at anything for the future, of course! wink wink). Still, I also felt a bit nervous because we’ve had so much amazing Disso-Death this year that I started to wonder if there were any areas left to explore in the subgenre. Let’s see if Devenial Verdict has an answer for us!
SonikGoat
It’s always great to see how many people are actively engaged in talking about, sharing, name-dropping, and posting new music. It’s part of what makes underground scenes so rewarding—the word-of-mouth aspect of how music finds its way to the most receptive ears. Especially in a fast-moving, worldwide scene like Metal, a band can quickly ascend from relative obscurity to cult status, propelled by the rapid, viral nature of word-of-mouth “promotion”. These days, it feels like a great album by a band I’ve never encountered lands on my radar at least once a week, if not more.
Elased
VdB 141 is the astronomical designation for the distinctive Ghost Nebula in the constellation Cepheus.IC 1805, on the other hand, refers to the Heart Nebula in the neighboring constellation Cassiopeia. These two codes form the title of the intro to this album and at the same time explain the enigmatic name of the band, Ghostheart Nebula. In its musical vision, the band merges the two nebulae into a mystical collision of almost impenetrable soundscapes. It may seem an ambitious undertaking, but the name and the idiosyncratic symbol could hardly be more fitting. No one has ever captured the essence of void, loneliness, hopelessness, farewell, and loss in such astronomical dimensions of darkness, weightless spacelessness, and disembodiment.
I don’t know when or how it happened, but the universe has conspired to make 90s Death/Doom cool again. More and more bands are rehashing this clearly underrated style, and I welcome it with open arms. Bring back the era of alienated pain! Marche Funèbre isn’t new to the sorrow game. The band has been delivering for more than a decade, always offering what angsty Metalheads need, which is why I approached After the Storm with uncalled optimism. So, let’s see how this is going to hurt me!
Alright, we’re picking up where last week’s madness left off. What can I say? If you look at Glacial Tomb’s album art, you’ll think, “Oh wow! This album has to slap”. It even has the perfect name: Lightless Expanse. If an album has an abstract or almost senseless title, you know it’s going to try to kill you. I’m sure some of you are coming in with your opinions already set. So instead of being an obnoxious contrarian just for clicks, I’ll try to add something meaningful to the discussion. Anyway, you’re here to find out if Glacial Tomb kicks butt or not. Let’s go!
Metal Eclipse Reviews 