Suffering so you don't have to!
Metalcatto
Time to do something I never do: reviewing a split. There’s just no moment for these eclectic releases. However, Nixil / Drouth‘s Toward Dead Temples caught my attention not only because I’m on a business trip and need a short release that takes less effort than usual—no, no. It’s because this thing radiated Blackened decadent energy, and I’m always in the mood for something like that. Aren’t you?
Metalcatto
I know we mostly review super underground and legit extreme Metal around here. However, sometimes I need a break from all your edgy promos. Premier Jester is electro Metalcore. If that’s not terrifying enough for you, the album is titled Turn You On. I know what you’re thinking: does this sound like it was written by a twelve-year-old? You’ve gotta stick around to find out. It’s time to leave my comfort zone.
Metalcatto
The Biscuit Merchant is back, and if the artwork is telling us anything, they’re now the cookie dealer. If you owe them money, you end up like that. I knew it was only a matter of time before the kids would come back and try to break my legs. So, one of the revelations of 2025 wants to try again. Let’s see if Golden Age is an honorable sequel or just forgotten cookie dough.
Metalcatto
We have some usual suspects at MER, and one of them is Steve Wiener, who is also behind Am I in Trouble? That was a classic Post-Black project, but can this working-class Black Metal endeavor reach the same quality level? It’s not our first run into Eveale either, but we hadn’t properly checked Enter the Woodland Realm until now. So one can hope to find a few surprises, right? Yes, I’m feeling optimistic today. If you have a problem with that, we can always throw down outside.
Metalcatto
I keep exploring things I would normally pass on. Everyone else at MER Industries is busy with life, so it’s time for me to try the old school Hard Rock and Heavy Metal ride that Who on Earth is planning to deliver with It Takes the Village. I wonder: to do what? Raise a child? Maybe I’m missing something, but I’ll dive in and find out.
Metalcatto
I felt like bullying someone today, so I picked Bragging Rights – A Comedy Divine because I know he can take it. This is how I justify abuse, of course. At MER, we’re very familiar with the almost obsessive way this project churns out records. I do wonder if the title is ripping off Dante, but I’ll give it a pass for once. We have to check out those cymbals anyway.
Metalcatto
It brings me joy that a band we reviewed long ago, back when it was nothing but a humble one-man project, is now back with bigger and faster ambitions. So yay! The project didn’t just die and fade into nothingness. We can now enjoy Never-Ending Quest for Purpose by Legionary. Short title, right? Let’s see if this thing has anything to add to the long and often disappointing history of MeloDeath and Thrash.
Metalcatto
Mývalyĭr is what happens when you blend the epic, storytelling scope of Blind Guardian with the intense seriousness of a band like Eternal Storm or other deeply committed MeloDeath acts. Consequently, its new album, The Past Tales, sounded on paper like an oddball proposition for me, as it combines elements I deeply love with others I’m almost embarrassed to admit I enjoy. The central question was how the band would balance its grandiose, fantastical aspirations with the musical gravitas such themes demand. Honestly, my initial hopes were buried underground, but there’s always room for dreaming, right?
Metalcatto
Sometimes, I get to review the weirdest things, and by that, I mean something like Negative Agent’s Terminal Days—an Industrial Metal album steeped in Cyberpunk aesthetics and antifascist politics. This is genuinely underground material, but it arrived with a strong personal recommendation from musicians whom we deeply respect here at MER. Trusting that instinct, I decided to give this electronic assault a fair chance, even though it checks almost none of the boxes on my usual stylistic checklist. There are moments when one simply craves to be surprised, and this seemed like the perfect opportunity.
Metalcatto
If you’ve ever read Sophie’s World, you’ll understand how perfectly Platonic the band name Cartoon Can’t Die truly is. Now that I’ve indulged in that moment of cheap snobbery, let me tell you that their new album, Rebirth, doesn’t really fit into a simple genre box. And no, it’s not exactly the soundtrack to Who Framed Roger Rabbit. So, let’s jump into one genuinely strange album, because that’s what you’re here for.
Metal Eclipse Reviews 