Suffering so you don't have to!
Metalcatto
How would you call a band that has folk sounds straight out of Scotland, sings in Italian, and riffs like a German Post-Metal band? Well, Duir seems to be the name, and Catarsi caught me off guard for once in my life. I’m not saying get excited yet, but you’d be right to believe that the artwork promises something interesting. And sure, this album is interesting—but is it good? The tracks are long and the mood is depressing, so is it going to get drony? Let’s find out.
Thechopstickdrummer
Coprolith is the scientific name for fossilized feces. Lovely. Their newest record’s album cover depicts a horrid amalgamation of humans where one man’s snot is another’s cerebral vein. Lovely. Everything about this Canadian band is just lovely. If my sarcastic tone isn’t potent enough for you, I’ll just scrap it entirely: Death Metal isn’t supposed to be lovely, and I expect nothing but gore-drenched horror from Coprolith and their debut album Putrescence. If the package this gore’s delivered in is nicely handled, I’m leaving a five-star rating for the delivery men. If there’s even one tiny dent, they can hear my critical wrath. That was also sarcasm.
Metalcatto
I’ve been waiting forever to do this. Cult of Luna is without a doubt my favorite Post-Metal band. It’s like Neurosis but with better vocals and less abuse. So that’s good for you people who care about morals and stuff. I should also mention this top will include the band’s collaboration with Julie Christmas. I hope you can live with that. Anyway, let’s start.
Metalcatto
Look. It’s Icelandic Black Metal from Germany (you read that right). AAAAHHH. Now that I’ve calmed down, I can say that Fyrnask is exactly what I mentioned before: a band from the school of endless cold caves and godless volcano eruptions, but most of all, ridiculously long tracks. However, you’re not here to know all this—you already know. You’re here to find out if Íosir will defy your patience or help you travel to a darker time.
Thechopstickdrummer
INSURRECTUM is a one-man project manned by the Ukrainian multi-instrumentalist Anatoliy Bliashuk, delivering an eclectic hodgepodge of progressive, symphonic, and Blackened Death Metal in its debut record, The Last Battle. Now I don’t want to be overly judgmental, but the abundance of AI-generated artwork–graciously excluding the official LP’s cover–doesn’t make for a suitable first impression. It’s a sign of laziness, a lack of creative drive. On the contrary, Anatoliy’s fifty-two-minute epic is brimming with ideas. In fact, The Last Battle is two different albums: there’s one in English (the edition provided for universal coverage), and another in Ukrainian. They’re musically distinct, with only the lyrical translations and core themes remaining mutual. This choice illustrates the tenacity behind INSURRECTUM’s ideas, but whether they’re as good as their covers is to be determined.
Metalcatto
Not to brag, but I actually have Dysgnostic‘s previous album, Scar Echoes, which is why I have extra preparation for End Whispers. How to describe these guys? Sure, they’re a Disso-Death band, and Denmark doesn’t have many of those—it’s a small and flat place—but the band has always approached the style differently. There’s no rush, let’s put it that way. Whether it’s a brutal blast or a low-pressure section, Dysgnostic can put you in a stretcher with ease. But you’re here to know if the album is worth your money, so let’s start.
Thechopstickdrummer
A TECHNICAL DEATH METAL BAND FROM MAINE! I REPEAT, A TECHNICAL DEATH METAL BAND FROM MAINE! How merry can I be! If each of the 50 states contested to see which was most lucrative for extreme Metal music, Vacationland would run sobbing to the nearest blueberry field as California, Florida, and New York fill the podium, all hosting greatly influential Metal movements. To demonstrate the unexpectedly bloodthirsty nature of New England’s northernmost region comes Ethereal Rot, a dissonant Death Metal collective from Portland. Ethereal Rot is releasing their debut full-length record next month, presenting a refined group shaped by on-the-road seacoast slaughterfests and combinations of the bandmates’ past stylings–almost every member hails from former projects spanning power Metal to Metalcore. This debut marks an exploratory thematic shift for the group, demonstrating that Ethereal Rot can withstand the harsh climates of both their state and their industry.
Metalcatto
There are days when I wake up and actually don’t feel like putting myself through the most disgusting, inhumane, or nihilist music you people drop on our mailbox. Sometimes I want to feel life has a purpose—even if it doesn’t. So how about a Speed Metal band like Iron Slaught? Metallic Torment should be everything I find cheesy, but this is a French band, and you know Metal is the only thing where we don’t hate on them. In fact, we love their work. So let’s see if we can keep that going—the love, I mean, not the hate.
thechopstickdrummer
A Bleeding Tree Hanging Self Destruction is a long, almost nonsensical name for an album, but Arise From Worms is a trio built on extravagant displays. Their supergroup foundation is not one to be messed with under any circumstances: Sonny Lombardozzi of Fleshtized tackles guitars and bass, Steve Tucker of Tampa’s own Morbid Angel handles vocals, Derek Sherinian tickles the electronic ivories, and Cryptopsy’s Flo Mournier mounts the drum kit. This trio founded Arise From Worms in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, but only recently have they set their malicious technical sights on a full-length endeavor. And what an endeavor it was…
Metalcatto
In our never-ending quest for originality, shocking things become more and more difficult to find. So imagine my surprise when Saidan proposed to mix Black Metal with Visual Kei. That’s just so wild it could work. FANGDRILLER: Scars Beneath Memory’s Wrist is supposed to come as a Gothic and charming tale—something harsh, but somehow comforting. Can the album strike a balance between these two worlds, or will it all become unbearably sentimental? Hopes are high.
Metal Eclipse Reviews 