review – Page 52 – Metal Eclipse Reviews

Marilyn Manson – One Assassination Under God – Chapter 1

Ok, sigh, here we go. You guys voted for this in our Instagram poll, so I wash my hands of it! Saying that Marilyn Manson is a controversial figure is like saying Burger King sells burgers. So when I received the promo, my reaction was, “Oh no! What do I do now?” I asked the people—that’s what I did. I also want to state that if MM is guilty of even half of what he’s been accused of, that’s more than enough reason for me to not enjoy anything he’s produced. However, I’m a professional, and in One Assassination Under God – Chapter 1, I’ll do my best to separate the art from the artist.

Within Silence – The Eclipse of Worlds

Elyna Kahn

After reviewing several promos in my inbox, I stumbled upon a title that caught my attention: The Eclipse of Worlds by Within Silence from Slovakia. It was my first encounter with a Slovakian band and another “Within”—aside from Within Temptation. I didn’t know what to expect. I only review music that stirs something deep within my heart. So, after listening to several other bands, I clicked the link without high expectations. I downloaded the tracks and started listening. At first glance, it seemed like a generic Power Metal album. On the second listen, I realized it’s pure Power Metal—in the best sense of the term.

Opeth – The Last Will and Testament

It’s been tough to write this one. You see, Opeth holds the closest sentimental spot in my heart. I loved everything from Orchid to Watershed with passion. I studied the tracks, played them, and then Opeth changed completely. Although I still enjoyed some albums from the Prog Rock era, they weren’t as ambitious or interesting—nothing the ’70s hadn’t already given us (get mad!). Now, The Last Will and Testament comes with big promises. We all heard that the growls were back, but I couldn’t care less—I wanted the songwriting to return. So, I wasn’t too hopeful after the single; I didn’t want to believe the hype! But let’s see if this is a true return to form or just overhyped by every reviewer site out there.

Veilburner – The Duality of Decapitation and Wisdom

SonikGoat

Mephisto Deleterio and Chrisom Infernom follow up 2022’s VLBRNR with their seventh and arguably most potent conjuring yet—and their fourth album on India’s Transcending Obscurity. For those not yet initiated into the Pennsylvania-based act’s particular cult of audial occultism, this is as good a place to begin as any. For those who have followed their earlier work, this album (The Duality of Decapitation and Wisdom) delves further into the peculiar dimension I’ll dub the Veilburnerverse.

Panzerfaust – The Suns of Perdition – Chapter IV: To Shadow Zion

There you can see it: Prometheus carrying the weight of our world, of our sins! There aren’t many bands that portray war like Panzerfaust. It’s not just the horror and immorality of it, but also its symbolism. This band gets that, which is why reaching the end of this tetralogy feels bittersweet. Who else has ever pulled this off? Four albums exploring a single concept with such depth? Maybe only Obscura with its cosmological tetralogy. Anyway, last time Panzerfaust released something, I had my concerns. Let’s see if The Suns of Perdition – Chapter IV: To the Shadow of Zion proves me wrong.

Thunraz – Incineration Day

You look at that name, you look at that art, you even look at the few band members, and you know that Thunraz’s Incineration Day isn’t going to be an easy ride. It’s not going to be chill or fun. This looks like a trip straight into hell—everything unholy and obscene. But am I exaggerating? Am I falling for the solid marketing job by its creators? In a year brimming with complex and impressive Disso-Death, Thunraz will need something truly distinctive to stand out among the heavyweights. Enough talk—let’s dive in!

Defeated Sanity – Chronicles of Lunacy

Defeated Sanity needs no introduction. Not many bands embody the heaviest of the heavy like this act does. Ever since Psalms of the Moribund, its catalog has been a masterclass in brutal consistency without devolving into the numbing exercise that often plagues Brutal Death Metal. That alone is an achievement. I can throw on a Defeated Sanity album and be annihilated for 35 minutes straight. Yet, with every new release, there’s always the lurking risk of falling into tired tropes. So, does Chronicles of Lunacy dodge the lameness abyss?

Monolithe – Black Hole District

Monolithe has the honor (or disgrace, depending on how you look at it) of having two 5.0/5.0 albums in my book: Monolithe II and Monolithe III. Both are masterclasses in Funeral Doom. However, those days of ultra Doom are long gone, and now Monolithe has evolved to such an alienating degree that it feels almost unrecognizable. Yet, it’s still the band in Doom Metal that makes my blood flow the most, reminding me how infinitely insignificant our existence is in the vastness of the cosmos. You might not love every risky step it takes, but I find it refreshing that, despite working within such a focused framework, Monolithe always manages to surprise me. Will Black Hole District be the same?

Lying Figures – Inheritance

Pegah

The French Melodic Death/Doom Metal band Lying Figures returns after a long hiatus with its new album, Inheritance. This time, Frédéric Simon (vocals & bass) and Matthieu Burgaud (guitars) guide us on a profound introspective journey, confronting emotions long buried or ignored. The album delves into deeply personal themes, exploring self-alienation, frustration, inner conflict, despair, and disorientation. These ideas are mirrored in the album cover, which portrays a dark, abandoned cityscape devoid of light, teetering on the brink of collapse. The inverted city hints at duality and the tension between mind and body, as well as a fractured sense of reality. The dominant red tones evoke intense emotions such as self-expression, aggression, and resilience, while birds and barren branches in the corners suggest life fleeing this desolate scene.

Thy Catafalque – XII: A gyönyörű álmok ezután jönnek

It’s time to stop the doomscrolling! The man, the myth, the legend is here. You wouldn’t believe how excited I was when I got the promo for Thy Catafalque’s XII: A gyönyörű álmok ezután jönnek (Satan, help me with this title!). No project sounds quite like this one. That’s the paradox of Thy Catafalque—you never know what you’re getting, yet you kind of do. Am I making sense? Probably not. I’ve been a fan since Rengeteg and loved almost everything since. But surpassing Alföld, which was album-of-the-year material, is a massive task. Let’s dive in!