Mortualia Finland

"This is probably music which will not appeal to everybody, and music which you have to be in a special mood to enjoy completely. We are dealing with depressive metal which very successfully expresses pure misery - but, unlike some of the other depressive metal bands I have heard (admittedly, I haven't heard that many), there is no feeling of self-pity or anything like that here. It is just pure pain and desperation.

The tracks on this album are rather long with an average length of about 15 minutes, I reckon. It is only 'Cold and Grey' og the 2011 reissue bonus track 'Death Serenity' which clock in at less than 13 minutes (they are both around six minutes of length). In addition to being long, they are quite minimalistic and very repetitive, consisting of a couple of simple, and very melancholic sounding figures, being repeated a lot. This repetition is an important ingredient in the overall tortured feel and desolate atmosphere of the album, but it also means that when there are changes in a tune, it is something that the listener really notices. Changes aside, this is music that you can really lose yourself in, as you embark on a musical journey through the darker recesses of the human emotional landscape.

The vocals consists exclusively of tortured screams. Think of a person who has lost everything, and has stepped on a rusty nail. The vocals obviously fit the overall feel of the music like a glove.

If you like dark and depressive music which is oppressive and desolate, and you are looking for an alternative to doom metal, you might want to check this release out.

(review originally posted at metalmsuciarchives.com)"