Suffering so you don't have to!
Metalcatto
One of our readers asked us for an honest assessment of their new single, Lost Guardian (I wonder where he is). This is the latest offering from an Italian Power Metal project, and although there are currently no plans for a full-length album, an EP should be coming soon. So, if you Power Metal nerds are looking for something to throw your money at, keep an eye out. Those are your options for now. Alright, let’s embark on this dramatic journey!
Metalcatto
II’m always a bit skeptical of one-man projects, unless they’re Dan Swanö. It’s like a race car with no brakes. However, this is a Post-Metal project, which makes me believe. I want to get my heart broken listening to this stuff. I want Torii to surprise me, because with an album named Despaire, the least I can expect is to relive those moments of loss, right?
Metalcatto
Time to give back to the deep underground. We’ve talked about HKSPK—I know, it sounds like the name of a K-pop band—before in our feedback special, but today we’re not pulling any punches. We’ll review Heimkehr with all the brutality of the law. The guys had their chance, so now they’re going to get a full review and get judged like a proper high-league act. Okay, I’m just scaring people off now, but I had to raise the stakes, right?
Metalcatto
Looking at The Bitter Pills’ artwork made me have a ton of questions, none of them terribly flattering. So, I’m suspecting that I might have some issues with The Bitter Pills. You might say that I’m being judgmental, but after reviewing hundreds of albums, I’m entitled to have some biases, right? Anyway, let me tell you if this sounds good or not.
Metalcatto
When I heard the name Fog Wall, I honestly thought this would be some kind of Gothic journey full of synths and cute flowery riffs. Having said that, I’ve never been so wrong, because Gloomweaver is just absolutely punishing. I wasn’t ready for the intensity here, but that’s what we’re here for—to be totally surprised and destroyed by the horrors and depths of extreme Metal!
Metalcatto
Sometimes, I do check those emails random artists send me. Especially if it’s Thrash Metal—my first extreme love. It’s why Maidenhead‘s Maximum Clonage got my attention. The band seemed professional despite the simple email. So let’s see if being polite gets you somewhere in life. Usually it doesn’t, but I’ve gotta make a difference, right?
Vicky
I’ve known, talked to, worked with, befriended, and been a fan of Váthos for quite some time now, so when I listened to SOLACE for the first time, my first instinct was to think “oh, wow, can’t believe I know these people”, of course, in a good way.
Metalcatto
You know what we haven’t done in a while? Reviewed something kind of techy. So why not review a super underground act like The Absolution Sequence? Sure, the name sounds like something else—as in Goth or MeloDeath—but Dread Cycle should deliver all those complicated riffs you want, right? One can have expectations when the musicians shred more, or so I hope.
Thechopstickdrummer
I treasure observing the development of young bands. By “young”, I mean the duration of the band’s existence and the youthfulness of its members. The Larches, an English take on sludge metal-meets-alternative rock, is one of these projects yet to break free from the shackles of their hometown, and I love that. Forming in 2021 near Middlesbrough, The Larches hooked me in with a name inspired by a genus of Northern conifers and a sludgy yet passionate attitude present in their upcoming EP, Nihilistic Majesties. This sophomore release exhibits the band’s gradual shift towards a more industry-ready visual aesthetic, while still recording charming homemade music videos, and while part of me never wants The Larches to leave that amateur aesthetic behind, it’s time to give the band a bigger spotlight. However, in the spotlight comes major criticism.
Metalcatto
It’s not that I’m a Protest The Hero expert, but I’ve been a fan since Kezia. That means I’m OG, and my opinion matters more than some noob’s, right? Anyway, I don’t think the band has an album below a 4.0 out of 5.0. Its blend of Prog, Mathcore, and Metalcore has made this project one of the most unique out there. Not to mention the almost optimistic feeling in each one of its releases, no matter how dark the subject actually is. So how do you top such an impeccable career? Let’s find out with Within.
