ALBUM REVIEW: Mortuary Drape – Black Mirror

Italian Black / Death Metal ghouls MORTUARY DRAPE return with their long-awaited sixth album. Set for release via Peaceville Records on November 3rd. After their excellent EP last year (read my review here), my hopes are high…

Haunting piano begins our journey into the darkness with a chilling introduction. Eerie vocals and mesmerising guitar riffs pound into a diabolic assault with those extremely strong bass lines that Mortuary Drape have always utilised, harnessing all of the evil spirits that lurk within their soundscapes. Blistering lead work complements the rhythm guitars and battering drums with tight shreds, showing their musicianship as a band is stronger than ever while still feeling occult and vicious as ever. Dancing with the radiant elements of traditional metallic craftsmanship, that timeless feeling at the heart of their music burns bright while the dark flame remains hostile and mysterious. To hear a band quite as highly regarded by myself as Mortuary Drape still putting out mystical and enchanting music of this calibre is magnificent and the opening moments of this record are testimony to this being just as strong as their EP had teased at.

Scathing melodics and bestial artillery intertwine to give us a most majestic and yet visceral listen, continuing to seethe with resplendent oddities. With a production that allows the hard-hitting percussion and absolutely mind-blowing guitar work to enshroud those pounding and vibrant bass lines, there is no escaping the fact Mortuary Drape are sounding more massive than ever, especially with Wildness Perversion’s recognisably inhuman vocals piercing through like a dagger to an exposed chest cavity. The blending of rattling low end and warm mids is gorgeous to listen to, mummifying the mind with their charnel Extreme Metal delights. As well as the superb musicianship, the songwriting and feel of the record is just so perfectly crafted, casting a shadow over all with their bewildering essence. The heart of this thing is just as punishing and untamed yet blissfully melodious, continuing to unpredictably yet reliably gratify the maniacal urge for occult Black Metal played properly.

Of course with a band such as Mortuary Drape, a certain magical essence must be present in their music. It is here with abundant clarity, as every moment lurks in a terrifying blend of fantastical horror and sepulchral realism. Earthly and yet with a presence so distant, only this band could make sounds like this and they continue to marvellously. With more dynamics than one could conceive, going from thrashing rage to doomed despair, their sound fills the entire range of tempos, sonics and aesthetics while the consistency of playing real Black Metal to perfection is always there. Whether primitive or embracing their technical abilities and allowing them to flourish, everything feels sincere and genuinely impassioned with not a second of the running time wasted. A pounding opus of furiously enchanting musical prowess that deserves your undivided attention and adoration if you care for the darker side of extremity. But of course with the name Mortuary Drape on the cover; you already knew that didn’t you?

Combining the continuity of their signature sound with rejuvenated creativity and production advancements, this album is one hundred percent Mortuary Drape without rehashing a singular element, the past is alive and the future still has room for the real masters… A truly triumphant and epic work from one of Black Metal’s most important artists.