Black Curse had huge shoes to fill with sophomore album Burning in Celestial Poison, as the sophomore hump is the true test for bands to prove that they’re not a once-and-done affair. Thankfully, Burning in Celestial Poison not only surpasses the hump, but makes every other war metal album released this year appear as threatening as pool noodles in terms of sheer aggression and vitriol. So grab your pool noodles, we’re going to war!
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Eldingar – Lysistrata Review
When Peat see names and album art that suggests a band has an interest in old European history, Peat — after a sad necessity of background checking — takes a look. And when a band, like Eldingar do on their second album Lysistrata, says they’re drawing on black metal, folk, and melodeath, he hits play. You can bait a Peat with melodeath, but can you make him purr?
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This Week In Metal, 2024 Week 45
Another week, another round of metal reviews in the bag. Words are tough, so we assembled the highlights. And if you want to read the latest reviews for the new offerings from The Black Dahlia Murder, Iotunn, Swallow the Sun, Ephialtes, and Morticide, you can do that too! Melodeath for all!
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The Black Dahlia Murder – Servitude Review
For newcomers, Servitude serves up the same kind of cutthroat melodic death metal that this band has been putting out for shy over 20 years now, with a sound that bleeds in colors of Carcass and At the Gates, among others. Fans will find a good album that harkens back to the sound of albums like Nocturnal. The Black Dahlia Murder are very much still alive.
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Ephialtes – Melas Oneiros Review
Most of us started something new during the Covid pandemic. Polish scene veteran Quazarre (Devilish Impressions, Asgaard, Crionics) started another band and called it Ephialtes after the Ancient Greek word for nightmare. He then doubled down on it by calling the debut album Melas Oneiros, which means black dream, or nightmare. It’s not everyday someone is so considerate as to make their thematic inspirations so clear.
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Swallow the Sun – Shining Review
The deathly doom metal of Swallow the Sun used to be offset with moments of cold beauty and increasingly pop oriented vocal lines, that still managed to feel like a fresh breath visible in the chill air. This has been turned on its head on Shining, a move that in hindsight was well telegraphed over the last two albums the band put out.
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Morticide – Death Cannot Hold Those with Purpose… Review
The call of fresh blood persists, and a new voice from beyond the mortal veil has risen to cast judgement on that which whelms neither of the over or under variety. But can the untested figure out how one kills death?
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Iotunn – Kinship Review
Access All Worlds, Iotunn’s first full-length release, took the Gator’s top spot back in 2021. While in hindsight, he may choose different these days, Aldará’s vocals are in part the anchor that makes Access All Worlds remarkable to the Gator, as the music leaves a lot of room for him to insert melodrama and meaning to the often grand sounding riffs. But will Kinship remain in kissing favor with our favorite reptilian?
Read moreThis Week In Metal, 2024 Week 44
Another week, another round of metal reviews in the bag. Words are tough, so we assembled the highlights. And if you want to read the latest reviews for the new offerings from Lowen, and Ataraxie, you can do that too!
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