USA – Page 3 – Metal Eclipse Reviews

Veilburner – Longing for Triumph, Reeking of Tragedy

Metalcatto

It hasn’t even been a year since SonikGoat gave Veilburner a crazy score for The Duality of Decapitation and Wisdom. It was indeed a creative effort that showed how Veilburner remains one of the most unique bands out there. I’ve been following the band for a few years now, and despite even owning some of its albums, I’ve always believed it could achieve perfection. That said, consistency isn’t even a question at this point. We know exactly what we’re getting — interdimensional evil music — when these guys are in charge of Longing for Triumph, Reeking of Tragedy. So sit back and prepare yourself for dissonance!

Light Dweller/Aoecist/Sleep Paralysis – Illusory Dissolvents

Metalcatto

We cover next to no splits at MER. That’s not totally out of spite, but it’s taken a long time to find one that’s both long and fun enough to write about. So here comes Illusory Dissolvents, mixing up Sleep Paralysis, Aoecist, and Light Dweller. One heavier and more twisted than the other, I know! But can they all work together in a way that fits? Or am I going to feel like someone threw a dead cod in my chocolate pudding? Time to find out if my faith in splits should be restored.

Umulamahri -Learning the Secrets of Acid

Metalcatto

When you see artwork like the one in Umulamahri’s Learning the Secrets of Acid, you might start wondering just how hard your face is about to melt. Will you even feel anything by the end? Calling this project Avant-Garde Disso-Death is almost an understatement. Its sinister and experimental nature promises a lot, especially since the minds behind it are masters of their craft. Now that I’ve set your expectations sky high, it’s time for this album to crush you, devour your carcass, and show us exactly what kind of secrets this substance holds.

Arson Charge – A Dying Light

Metalcatto

Let’s return to the underground and pick up something unconventional, and by that I mean Arson Charge’s A Dying Light. Not every day do I get an album that sounds like a car crash between Thrash, Industrial, and even Nu-Metal. The real question is: are there any survivors of this massive collision? That’s what I’m here for—to take the bullets you’re too busy to take. Can this band impress us, or will it just make us scratch our heads? Honestly, I didn’t know what to expect just by looking at the artwork. Nothing wrong with it, but what does it make you feel? Maybe I don’t want to know. Let’s go!

Sölicitör – Enemy in Mirrors

Vicky

I don’t really know what I’m doing writing about this album. As you know, I’ve done reviews on quite a few LPs, but never on something belonging to the Speed Metal genre, even though I sometimes (actually, rarely, to be more precise) listen to this type of music. I hadn’t heard about Sölicitör myself before getting this album, so I’m feeling a little superior at the moment and I want to share some wisdom. Long story short, Sölicitör released their debut album, the quite cool Spectral Devastation, back in 2020, and this new LP is more dynamic and overall better. I’m not saying that, the band members are. I can’t really afford to make any comments here since I’m not exactly your average 1980s type of music aficionado.

Liminal Erosion – In the Time Vulture’s Talons’

Metalcatto

I felt like reviewing something weird, but not too out of pocket. Liminal Erosion is a Funeral Doom band that has psychedelic and old-school influences. So not every day do I get an album that promises to make me depressed but also high as a kite. In the Time Vulture’s Talons needed some extra attention, which is why, despite its deep underground nature, I’m writing about it. Besides, look at that artwork—it really makes you think of the last time you had a fever dream you couldn’t even begin to explain. That’s optimistic enough, right?

Between the Buried And Me – The Blue Nowhere

Metalcatto

I’m more excited than a monkey with a rifle! It’s Between The Buried And Me, the band that got me into Prog Death back when I didn’t even have my own computer. I’ve been a fan since Alaska and was blown away by the timeless 5/5 classic Colors. The band has been delivering amazing and consistently interesting music ever since. Weird and quirky for sure, but always risky. If The Blue Nowhere is anything like its previous works, surprises are the only guarantee. Enough build-up, time to shred our way out of existence!

Now I’ve Done It – An lll Guest

Metalcatto

I needed a change for a while, so I picked an album that’s going to be out in a while. When I first read about Now I’ve Done It’s promo, I was puzzled. It claimed to be a wild, strange album, but it also featured band members from Lör, one of the few Power Metal bands I can still enjoy these days. An Ill Guest was either going to be an amazing experience or suck harder than a curry with no spices (and if you felt attacked, then you probably have poor taste!). It promised to be something profound, yet the artwork looked pretty disturbing. Was this going to be a schizophrenic trip? Let’s find out!

Return to Zion – Burdened with Glorious Purpose

Metalcatto

As you know, we get lots of promos—some by mail, some by text, some by smoke signals—but rarely can we give attention to the little band that sneaks into our DMs. That’s the case with Return to Zion, a band that came to us with nothing but a humble request. And well… here I am, getting all soft and offering Burdened with Glorious Purpose a chance. This Post-Rock/Metal release has the difficult task of standing out as an instrumental album, which is still a hit-or-miss subgenre for me. Can one of these finally match the quality of more standard releases, or are we going to be left waiting?

Panopticon -Laurentian Blue

Metalcatto

It was a mental struggle, a deep existential debate, to review Laurentian Blue by Panopticon. You see, its previous album had been my album of the year in 2023, so there was no way this one was going to top that. And yet, Panopticon is risking it all by basically stepping away from Metal and going full American Folk—or, as we non-Americans might call it, hillbilly Rock. It’s going to be an ordeal for me to make jokes about this without straight-up insulting the trailer park community, but I’ll do my best!