This is the third album from Mexican black metal band Muerto.
Muerto play a modern, hybrid form of gloomy black metal, that mixes together elements of sludge, dissonance, and post-black metal. The 36-minute Eclipsed Realms is the end result, and it is a compelling one.
Muerto’s black metal is vicious, raw, and emotive. Filled with aggressive malice and menacing atmosphere, the music sucks in all light and returns little but bleak darkness. The vocals are inhuman snarls for the most part. Heavy on the reverb, they are nasty and raspy. The singer reveals her clean singing voice on the last two songs, adding a layer of emotive colour to music that’s oppressively dark. Speaking of the last two songs – Eclipsed Realms is almost an album of two halves; these later tracks see the band changing gears somewhat and embracing their sludgy post-metal side.
The band combine their influences well, with their music presenting as otherworldly contemporary black metal that’s grim and underground. It writhes with dissonant unlife, drips with sludgy poison, and even has death metal touches that can be felt in some of the guitars. In essence, think of a raw, sludgy form of dissonant black metal, throw in a few death metal riffs and a touch of post-metal, and you’ll have a decent starting point for Eclipsed Realms. For band references, think a mix of acts such as Amenra, Deathspell Omega, Gorrch, Immolation, Machukha, Ulcerate, etc.
Muerto do melody very well, it has to be said. Eclipsed Realms is a record of drama, tension, feeling, and emotion. The melodies are a significant part of this, although not the whole story of course. This is an album that focuses on malevolent atmosphere, but Muerto can be remarkably hooky when they want to be; sometimes a twisting melody or warped riff will wrap itself around you and it just won’t let go no matter what you do.
Eclipsed Realms is a murky pit of suffering and despair, one that is paradoxically worth spending time in if you’re partial to this form of underground extremity. It’s not a one-dimensional affair, and has much to offer those capable of weathering its harsh exterior and uncompromising sound.
Very highly recommended.
Wonderbox Metal 