TETRAMORPHE IMPURE : "the Sunset of Being"

 Damien from Mortuary Drape is helming this project. If you don't know who Mortuary Drape are, then we have bigger problems than allowing you to delve into funeral doom. Do you know what funeral doom is? Think My Dying Bride, who, if you are still coming blank, this is the wrong blog for you. This opening track feels more like death doom thanks to the relentless hammering of double bass, though the guitar does allow things to breathe and create a sense of atmosphere. The vocals have a commanding growl, rather than being the kind of despair-filled gurgle that normally comes from funeral doom. Record labels are the last ones to know how to market a band and call their bands all sorts of things they think are buzz words. These guys are pretty heavy regardless of the genre and give a shit about the songs which is even better.

There is more melody to the guitar line that opens the second song. The drummer is pretty amped up to get things going in a more death metal direction, and that is where his playing sends the song. The more languid chords that would set the sorrowful doom mood are in play but not allowed to simmer for too long. What they are doing here works, but after the first song, there are fewer surprises here. "The Spirit of Gravity" is a more foreboding stomp. To the band's credit, they are not content with just pummelling you. There are some sparse sung vocals buried in things. 

The last song finds the band charging right in with death metal's hyper aggression, though once they settle into the verse, a more melancholic guitar tone comes in. The overall feel is death doom, as the double bass starts getting kicked up again midway into this song, which sprawls out at 1 minute. Though six minutes into the song, they seem to have touched on all the major themes you might expect. They end up going into a clean guitar melody that sounds like something Metallica might have played around with as an intro. I like what they are doing here, the transition into the swell of dynamics is pretty flowing, though, could they have reined this song into something more concise that was eight minutes max, yes. But over all this album is a success and they take the death doom genre away from its normal Peaceville roots into something more aggressive. I will give this album a 9, as it's a fun listen.  

 

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Mortuary Drape : "Black Mirror"

 With a legacy that dates back to the 80s, they are not far removed from Mercyful Fate when it comes to the first wave of black metal in terms of their sound. Despite forming in the 80s this is only the Italian band's 6th full length. Their last full-length "Spiritual Independence" carried more of a death metal sound. While they are not blast-beating the night away here, things have more of a black metal feel here. "Ritual Unction" is the first really straightforward song, it uses taunt riffing to get the point across, with some sections that have a more aggressive momentum. Riding that space between genres that Dissection did. There is plenty of head-banging groove in a manner not unlike King Diamond's solo work though the vocals stay in snarling croak. 

"Drowned in Silence" finds the vocals taking a lower more death metal-like growl.  The riffs are hooky enough with the kind of thrash tendencies this sort of thing was born out of. The guitar solos work well with what they are doing and not a shred fest. After the clean guitar opens "Into Oblivion" to create the calm before the storm, hurtling into something that recalls 80s speed metal.  It measures up with that sound and is well executed. However, it does sound like every other band doing thrash, since it lacks the horror soundtrack atmosphere this band has built its identity around. There is more of the theatrics for "Rattle Breath" The title alone sounds like it should be on a Megadeth album. I like the oddly sung sections as they give this its own personality, making it one of my favorite songs so far. 

"Nocturnal Coven" has some great guitar playing, but really does little to set itself apart from the pack. "Mistress Sorceress" is more effective at blending the thrash sound of this album with the darker moods that are this band's strength.  "The Unburied" finds them back to the status quo of thrashing black metal, though the bass is very present in the mix to give more of a rumble. I really like the darkness they bring with the energy of "Fading Flowers Spell". The more melodic title track provides a pretty fitting way to end the album. I will give this album a 9, it's a shift from what I think of them as doing, but with that said every album is different so I appreciate the refinement and the excellent production value they brought this time, if a larger metal audience was going to be introduced to these guys this would be the album to do it.It drops November 3rd on Peaceville.  

Black Metal History Month- Mortuary Drape: " Wisdom- Vibration- Repent"

 While I would prefer getting a full length from this Italian band, I will take whatever I can get. The first song steps back from the more death metal infused take on black metal these guys normally have and finds the pace dropping down to something more comparable to Celtic Frost, though dressed up in darker atmosphere and slightly less theatrical in the delivery than they have been in the past. They pick up the pace and get more aggressive for " All in One Night". The production value sounds like it has been dialed up a little. The feels heavier, though less hooky than previous albums. 

"Nightmare Be Thy Name" is an odd choice of a Mercyful Fate song to cover. You have always been able to hear the Mercyful Fate influence in this band's music, mainly the guitar parts, which are what was nailed in this cover. Granted it is for the best that they did not try to go far King Diamond's vocal approach as that would have been an epic fail. They stuck to the kind of snarls they are good at and still made this work. I am the worst person to try to sell a Mercyful Fate cover to since King Diamond is my favorite metal singer.  "Circle Zero" finds an odd vocal approach, it is still harsh vocals, just done in a way where it sounds like the air is being sucked in rather than pushed out in a growl. The bass playing is very interesting here as well. I like how this song is angular and different from what you typically think of them doing.

On this ep they show more of their range as a band than most of their full-length album. Though their album 's convey a sound truer to who they are. As the last song finds them sounding like every other newer death metal band. Are they able to hold their own and do a pretty good job of playing the typical sound of death metal in 2022 ?  Yes, but where are all the creepy satanic horror movie sounds that define who they are?  For that reason I will round this down to a 9, which is still better than what we are hearing from 90 percent of the death metal out today, so maybe Chris Barnes is right, we will have to wait and see, but they kinda lost their black metal touch here. It was just a touch they had to their sound but aside from the Mercyful Fate song it is missed.,  

Top 10 Metal Albums of 2014

Here are the top 10 metal albums. None of these are black metal, even thought some of these bands might have once leaned that way. Of course partial to doom, but death metal fared pretty well this year with some old favorites coming back to kick ass.





10-Wormwood- s/t

These sludge merchants were crushing enough to keep the album in rotation.

http://patacrecords.bandcamp.com/album/wormwood

9-Triptykon-"Melana Chasmata"

It's Tom Warrior so it has to be good right ? Well remember "Cold Lake" ? Tom redeemed that slip into hair metal with this dazzling display of despair.


8-Nightfell-"The Living Ever Mourn"

This album came out of nowhere and possessed  a ton of staying power. Not really doom or black metal, just solid straight up metal, with excellent execution.



7- Godflesh -"World Only Lit By Fire"

Once upon a time these guys might have been on the goth/industrial list, but this comeback album is metal with little doubts. Justin is back in fine form after the uncertain ep.

6-Incantation- "Dirges of Elysium"

Often imitated, these guys almost had the best death metal album of the year. Brutal as hell, but still song oriented.

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5- Agalloch-"the Serpent and the Sphere"

One of my favorite black metal bands that is no longer black metal, but sill had an impressive showing with an album that got a ton of play this year. Even without the clean vocals this album holds up against there classic material.

4- Kall -s/t

Lifelover is back, but not as black.This has a more droning black n roll feel. It just falls shy of being black metal, but an excellent melancholy affair .




3-Emptiness -"Nothing But the Whole"

A stunningly desperate soundtrack. This album oozes both atmosphere and emotion defying sub genres.




2-Pallbearer-"Foundations of Burden"

This one is the rare album that lives up to the hype. The haunting  melodies stick with you and riffs challenge you not to bang your head. They are no longer funereal doom, but are great classic metal.

1- Mortuary Drape -"Spiritual Independence"

Everything in this album is placed perfectly. This is classic death metal. I can not get enough of this album. Creepy, heavy, melodic, everything I want from music.

Top 15 Albums of 2014

In looking at the list 2014 was an odd year. Some of the greats didn't release what I would consider their best work, but even when the likes of Morrissey dials it in, the result is still better than what most do. Some younger bands stepped up their game and grew in ways that shifted them from one genre to the next. All of these albums either scored a ten or grew on me and proved their perfection down the road.

15- Kall -s/t

Lifelover is back, but not as black.This has a more droning black n roll feel. It just falls shy of being black metal, but an excellent melancholy affair .

http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2014/12/kall-st.html



14-Emptiness -"Nothing But the Whole"

A stunningly desperate soundtrack. This album oozes both atmosphere and emotion defying sub genres.

http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2014/11/catching-up-with-2014-emptiness-nothing.html

13- Mayhem-"Esoteric Warfare"

If Mayhem had tried to make another "De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas" it would have bored the bullet belt right off me. Instead they release an album with pristine production, that takes chances and takes no prisoners. Attila has never sounded better and Hellhammer makes his case for being the best drummer in black metal. As Spinal Tap once asked "How much blacker can you get ? the answer was none then and it is none now.

12-Youth Code- A Place to Stand

One of the best industrial bands I have heard in some time. This duo is dark, mean and confrontational, even if their singer is a little blond girl.

http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2014/10/youth-code-place-to-stand.html

11- Atriarch- " An Unending Pathway"

They graduated from the metal chart to goth, as the death rock vibe is stronger. The metal elements are now more of a sonic Neurosis thing and they have left doom and black metal at home.

http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2014/10/atriarch-unending-pathway.html

10-Swans - To Be Kind

My favorite band this side of the Smiths takes the number ten, because "To Be Kind" is more like a  series of live jams they translated to the studio, but even when Gira is just playing around he is still better than most.

http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2014/05/swans-to-be-kind.html

9- Ice Age -"Plowing into the Field of Love"

These guys have grown in leaps and bounds, so much so the rock swagger injected on this album now makes them much more qualified for this list than being called post-punk.

http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2014/09/iceage-plowing-fields-of-love.html

8- Nasheim - "Solens Vemod"

The Swedish act is another one man show. The master mind behind this is Erik Grahn. Grahn  came out  of the gate on his first full length and killed it. This album sweeps you away. Combining the lush romanticism of Emperor, atmosphere and incredible arrangements, my only regret it not finding this masterpiece when it came out under the radar back in February.