Suffering so you don't have to!
Metalcatto
I know I’m ridiculously early with this review, but when a promo says Haxprocess is a mix of Opeth (the good albums) and Blood Incantation, that made me excited. Either because it was going to be awesome or utterly disappointing. Both would be interesting. So does Endlessly Flowing Cascades of Grief—this isn’t a band name, but a sentence—deliver? Let’s find out.
Metalcatto
Cutterred Flesh has a sort of special place at MER, because it might have been like the third review I wrote. Hence, I’m happy that the band and us are still here to talk smack about each other. If you know anything about these guys, you’ll know your ears are about to get smashed into pieces. The real question is if The Shapes of Hidden Malice is going to be more of the same, or if we’re going to get some sort of change. Historically, brutal bands tend to stay the same, but one can be wrong, right?
Metalcatto
Time to continue with one of our oldest traditions, courtesy of Veilburner. These guys have basically released an album every year we’ve been running this business. It’s not up to us—they’re crazy productive and even more consistent. I can’t think of any of its albums being bad, which is why I’m approaching All That Glimmers is Gloam with a healthy degree of optimism. You never know what the band is going to deliver, and that’s exciting.
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.
Metalcatto
A band with a name referencing a place where millions of lives were pointlessly lost? It can’t be a relaxing one, right? Well, Verdun is exactly that: Sludge and Death Metal that creeps into you like some chronic pain you can’t shake. Even the album’s title, Abyssal Womb, prepares you for something that has to be nothing but dreadful. Because the label is Transcending Obscurity, I was expecting something incredibly technical or brutally fast, but that wasn’t exactly the case. Or well, it depends on how you see it. Let’s go.
Metalcatto
These are some albums or EPs I almost forgot about. What can I say? Promos get buried by other promos in the endless waterfall of emails we need to sort out every single day. Mercy, please (but don’t stop, ok?)
Metalcatto
I think I’m right on time for the Phasma party. It’s probably going to be the opposite of chilled, but we’re not here to enjoy relaxing stuff, unless your definition of relaxing is getting thrown in a barrel down a waterfall. Purgatory isn’t for the noobs. It’s not even for the experienced, but that doesn’t mean it’s good right away. That’s why I’m here to give a smug opinion about it. Preferably read it while you listen to the thing at the same time.
Metalcatto
There are two certainties when it comes to Greek Black Metal: the artwork is going to be visually arresting, often steeped in occult symbolism, and the distrust for religious institutions will be off the charts. Decipher has built a reputation as a consistent band within this fertile scene, and if its new album, ΘΕΛΗΜΑ, is anywhere near as accomplished as Arcane Path of Resurrection, then the band would have absolutely nothing to be ashamed of. Or is it? Cringe and Black Metal have always shared an uneasy, intertwined history, but let’s descend into the darkness and find out.
Metalcatto
If you think Muerto is simply a Death Metal band name, you’ve been thoroughly fooled by the marketing machine. Whatever is happening on its new album, Eclipsed Realms, cannot be so neatly categorized. It certainly cannot be described as Death Metal, nor does it entirely fit within the strict confines of Black Metal, even though its production lovingly embraces that signature rotten, lo-fi aesthetic. Do you expect me to feel some misguided mercy just because we share the word “eclipse” in our respective titles? Hehe, not a chance!
Metalcatto
You know I have a soft spot for anything that mixes Prog and Death in the same sentence. What can I say? I like my bands to starve. So when Mors Verum came to me like a fart in the wind, I knew I had to smell it properly. Enough disgusting and childish jokes, though; what we really want to know is whether Canvas is worth your money, or at least your almost non-existent attention. Let’s get this horror started.
Metal Eclipse Reviews 