Without even thinking about it for a moment, one of my absolute things about metal as a whole is how malleable it can be even after everything that the genre has conjured. Given the proper circumstances and a little bit of a nudge in the right direction, it’s still very much so the case that anything is possible. Black metal is oftentimes viewed as a constrictive sound that doesn’t have all that much room for innovation or exploration unless you become magnificently atmospheric. Bands like Muerto are perfect proof to the contrary. With their third album, this Mexican act taps into what black metal is always in need of.

There are few things that can be properly likened to black metal done right and executed in such a way that brings further glory to the genre for much of what it has long stood for. And yet, there’s something special about when a band comes around and seeks to change things up even if it’s only a little bit. It’s one thing to introduce flavors of another style, but to make the sound feel truly your own is something that not many are capable of executing in a way that feels organic and passionate. Allowing their work to revel in being somewhat disjointed because of the emotional dissonance that the whole of the record boasts, Muerto does more than simply twisting black metal to become something hardly different throughout “Eclipsed Realms”. Rather, Muerto pulls off a sound that’s as effective in its execution as it is evocatively raw at virtually all times. This is not an attractive record at first nor does it ever once seek to be. “Eclipsed Realms” peels apart the human condition in a way that’s ugly and unrefined, but undeniably precise at its craft such that the harrowing screeches of Muerto do more than simply leave an impact while the doomy notions, bleak atmospheres, and sharp songwriting allow this record to become something more one track after another.

This is black metal that’s been transmuted into something adjacent but irrefutably familiar as Muerto does plenty to make this record their own from beginning to end. It holds much of what the genre has long held dear but never once did that deter Muerto from following their own path. Without a shred of compromise nor missing an opportunity for excellence, it’s throughout “Eclipsed Realms” that we’re given something raw, unforgiving, and something that’s more than worthy of your investigation.

“Eclipsed Realms” releases on April 17th via Transcending Obscurity Records!

LISTEN to advanced tracks from “Eclipsed Realms” on Bandcamp here.

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