Morild

VI EP

Written by: RUB on 20/12/2017 15:16:45

After witnessing the band in question at this year’s Aalborg Metal Festival, I knew I had to review their first ever release. And as mysterious as the phenomenon which the band name suggests (in English, it is called phosphorescence, I believe) and album cover are, as mysterious is the inception itself of Morild. Formed in January of 2016, the Copenhagen five-piece blasted onto the country’s metal scene as though out of nowhere with a couple of live performances and an EP boasting a sound so grim and haunting, yet so atmospheric and beautiful at the same time. In dwelling within the territory of atmospheric metal, the “IV” isn’t short like most EPs are by any means though. Spanning a little more than 26 minutes, yet containing only three songs (titled “I”, “II” and “III”), we’re treated to many different facets of the atmospheric repertoire over its course.

First track “I” kicks things off with a slow drum pattern coupled with a classic-sounding black metal riff. The menacing shrieks are also your typical black metal kind, but as the short breakdown ends around the three-minute mark and the blast beats start pounding again, some high-pitched, almost female-like, obscure vocals introduce a new melancholic sound into the otherwise brutal soundscape. This gives a really good flow to the song, and even though it sounds almost depressing at times, it always seems to pick up the pace again and stay true to both the genre and the entire structure of the song. Before ending just shy of the 10-minute mark, the song blasts through the signature riff one last time, and ends things on a very high note.

On the second track “II” the main riff isn’t particularly black metal-esque. Instead the band resorts to depressive melancholy, with a structure that is almost exclusively slow-building — just like the riffs and drum patterns — which ensures that you really feel the sad nature of this particular song. At the six-minute mark, all of the instruments are removed to make room for an almost dreamy, acoustic breakdown. And this time around, instead of ending in an inferno of tremolo and shrieks, the track slowly fades out to ease into the following “III”. Here, again, both blast beats and tremolo are present, but the intro riff is again not of your typical black metal style. Instead, it juxtaposes against the fast drums, leading into yet another dreamy and atmospheric soundscape, before finally ending with a spoken word part (“I will kiss your lips goodbye”) coupled with a soft chanting backdrop. This underlines the beauty present in Morild’s songs, and it really impresses yours truly that such a young band is able to write songs of such quality.

This debut EP consists of so many layers that I still discover new details even after listening to it many times by now. Self-produced, self-released and without any record label to back them, Morild has managed to firmly cement themselves into the Danish metal mulch with an EP of such vigorous, majestic and hard-hitting atmospheric metal that it has seldom (if ever?) been heard on the début release by any other Danish band of this genre. If Morild manages to sustain this fierce, yet melancholic sound on a future full-length album, I see no reason why they would not break into the international metal scene very soon as well.

9

Download: I, II, III
For the fans of: Alcest, Deafheaven, møl
Listen: Facebook

09.09.2017
Self-released

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