Suffering so you don't have to!
Metalcatto
Among the bands with some of the best names there’s Sarcasm—do I mean that? I guess you’ll never know. The band has its own approach to Death Metal, and needless to say, I approached their work with curiosity and even excitement. It’s not that I’m a diehard fan or anything, but you know weirdness and idiosyncratic moves are what we live and die for at MER. Keep on reading and find out.
Metalcatto
Let’s see how I’m going to navigate this. On one hand, At the Gates is the OG MeloDeath band, a national treasure, and it has suffered an unimaginable loss, which is why we’ll proceed with extra respect. Having said that, nothing in its long and complicated career has made me feel what Slaughter of the Soul once did. That level of speed, aggression, production, and brilliance has yet to be matched. But okay, let’s judge The Ghost of a Future Dead on its own terms.
Metalcatto
The Death Metal band with the sexiest name ever is back. If Vomitory‘s In Death Throes is as good as anything the band has offered in its last two albums, then we can all go home happy and relieved that another OG band still has something to give to the world. Let’s not lie—this project restores our faith in brutality. There’s little to be worried about, right?
Vicky
When talking about Symphonic Metal bands that have both excellent music, and a good internal collaboration between artists, Therion is one of the first examples that spring to mind. From their Death/Black beginnings, all the way to Symphonic and Operatic Metal, the group have proven to us numerous times that they can perform alongside musicians from pretty much any genre, and that their lyrics can cover a wide range of topics.
Metalcatto
Paganizer is like a shark. In the sense that after millions of years, it has changed very little. And why would you when you play Old School Swedish Death Metal? However, even I’ve started to wonder if the band can break the mold for once. Given that its last release wasn’t that long ago, my hopes aren’t exactly high for As Mankind Rots to deliver change, but let’s see!
Vicky
As a Symphonic Metal enthusiast, my heart is overfilled with joy when I tell you that I have recently spoken with Thomas Vikström (whom I must thank once again for this opportunity!), Therion’s talented lead vocalist, about his entire career, and numerous preferences, including his beverage of choice, and a top 20 songs he currently loves. Enjoy reading this interview and don’t forget to get back to us with some feedback.
Vicky
In case you’ve been living under a gigantic stone (not even a rock) for the past three or so decades and you have no idea what’s been going on in Northern European Black Metal, here’s a not-so-gory-and-without-too-many-details close-up: there was this Norwegian band called Mayhem, that started playing Occult Metal, did all sorts of highly “interesting” things, and got a lot of media attention due to two deaths in the group – the suicide of Per Yngve Ohlin (a.k.a. Dead), and the murder of Øystein Aarseth (a.k.a. Euronymous), committed by fellow bandmate Varg Vikernes (currently of Burzum). Now, with that in mind (and without too much morbid information on the topic, you’re welcome), we can go on and talk about the new Haimad material, the band’s debut album, When Night Rode Across the North. For your information, the band has been active for 25 years, however, as aforestated, this is their first full-length material.
Metalcatto
I guess it’s time for us to get really folky! Vintersorg is back, and there aren’t many bands in the Black/Folk/Prog world that have managed to keep such a unique blend alive without turning into a parody of themselves. Vattenkrafternas Spel has the complex task of continuing the almost perfect run the band has maintained for so long. Also, I couldn’t find confirmation in the promo material, but wouldn’t this be the end of the elemental tetralogy? I mean, water was the only one missing, so it would make sense! I’ll admit it—I’m a sucker for long and high-risk conceptual endeavors.
Metalcatto
Saying that I was excited about In Mourning’s The Immortal would be an understatement. I’m old school; I’ve been a fan since Monolith and Shrouded Divine. Everything after that has been the highest level of MeloProg consistency ever seen in that niche. If anything, the band could easily top a list of the most underrated acts in Metal. However, with every great release, the risk of the next one being a flop increases. The Bleeding Veil was outstanding, but can the band keep up with this ridiculous run? Let’s find out!
Metalcatto
It’s been some time since we checked in on epic comebacks. Not that there have been many this year, but I was hoping Korp could deliver one for us. And Darker it Shall Become has everything, in principle, to succeed at this task. There’s nothing like an album you can’t easily define to do the job. This one is a strange mix of Death, Black, and Thrash Metal that I feared might leave us numb—but you know, the past is always full of disappointment and regret, which is why I approached it cautiously. Sick artwork, though! Let’s do this.
Metal Eclipse Reviews 