vote
8.0
- Bands:
MORS - Duration: 00:42:17
- Available from: 01/01/2025
- Label:
-
Hyperborean Fire Productions
Apple Music not yet available
Of all the themes that have always characterized black metal imagery, the one relating to death and everything that revolves – or could revolve – around it has always held a particular fascination on the local scene.
On the other hand, the artistic bond (and not only) between Italy and the occult is a consolidated partnership since time immemorial, and has led the Belpaese to be a pioneer and excellence in the most varied fields of expression several times. As far as music is concerned and, more specifically, that of more – or less – extreme metal, it is impossible not to mention the influence of the work of bands such as Death SS, Mortuary Drape and Necrodeath, as well as that of more borderline entities like Goblin, Devil Doll or Jacula, he has had an impact on the entire rock and metal scene well beyond national borders. On the other hand, in a country where superstition and cult of the dead have been mixed for centuries in such a deep-rooted way in everyday life, the extension of certain themes to the artistic sphere certainly does not arouse any kind of amazement.
The Como blacksters Mors, a creature founded by the multi-instrumentalist Bazzy, former founding member of Homselvareg, are now fully added to the long list of bands that have made death and the occult their creative focus, ready to debut on the Hyperborean Fire Productions label with the full-length “Vltra Mortem Et Infera” here.
Assisted by Yr-nhhngr (main vocals, backing vocals and lyrics) and Vèrfarkas (backing vocals and backing vocals), the good Bazzy puts on the plate eight black metal songs with clear 90's reminiscences, in which the smell of incense and decadence, as well as a certain fascination for paganism, can already be felt just by scrolling through the titles of the tracklist (all strictly in Italian, except for the title track, placed in opening).
The basic recipe of what Mors proposes is quite simple: beautiful black metal with evident Swedish nuances (first and foremost Marduk), but which does not disdain visits to nearby Norway (Mayhem from the “De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas” period, but also certain Darkthrone), all filtered through the deadly lens of the typically Italian 'dark sound' mentioned above.
The result is an intense but at the same time very agile sound flow, in which the frontal impact benefits from the richness and dynamism brought by the atmospheric construct and vice versa, in a decidedly successful combination that allows the album to never suffer from declines. of tension or at moments 'out of focus'.
Among the best episodes, in this sense, it is impossible not to mention the aforementioned title track, “Vltra Mortem Et Infera”: the song, with its ferocious and implacable pace, enriched by evocative moments with ritualistic tones marked by chanting and stentorian voices , is embellished by an excellent guitar work by Bazzy, who, between torrential riffs and dissonant arpeggios, also takes off the whim to insert some twists in the smell of classic metal, with absolutely adequate results.
As we said, it is precisely this ability to coherently innervate the profoundly 'black' construct of one's compositions with ideas and details coming from the entire dark musical tradition, from doom, to the more sulphurous classic metal, to the dark proper, that reveals itself the real strong point of this first work by Mors, guaranteeing it an enviable depth and longevity; in fact, it is enough to listen to other gems such as “La Destruction Del Tempio” or the long “Oltre Le Porte Del Buio” and “Il Sole Nel Più Oscuro Dei Cieli” to realize how many strings the band has in its bow.
Ferocious, evocative, deadly and custodians of a writing ability of the highest level: the Mors, with this “Vltra Mortem Et Infera”, could really have fired the first, unexpected, bang of 2025, for lovers of certain sounds. A truly great debut.
Daniel D`Amico for SANREMO.FM