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MORTUUS
Grape Of The Vine

The Ajna Offensive (2014)
Rating: 7.5/10

Swedish black metallers Mortuus is a two-piece act hailing from Umeå. The band consists of M. Hinze and J. Kvarnbrink, who both created this manifestation back in 2003. Grape Of The Vine is only the second release from these miserable lunatics, and emerges some seven years after 2007’s debut conjuration De Contemplanda Morte; De Reverencie Laboribus Ac Adorationis.

Although two years previous to the debut they released an EP (Silence Sang The Praise Of Death), Mortuus have been generally sporadic with their offerings, so it was certainly about time that another chapter in their history was revealed via this seven-track outing.

Grape Of The Vine dabbles in intriguing, atmospheric and often gruelling black metal, but it’s the sort of frenzy delivered with enough meat that it makes for a reasonably absorbing listen. What I like about this brand of black metal is the doomier touches; a real dank air of dungeon quality pervades the air as J. Kvarnbrink’s throaty gargle runs in grotesque tandem with the slow, gloomy passages of misty guitars and pensive, black-shrouded guitars. It’s extremely thoughtful, atmospheric black metal with a buzzing guitar toe that offers menace throughout.

Mortuus exude an air of arrogance that can come across as rather fake with so many bands of this ilk, but this time the swagger is one of genuine moroseness as the foreboding title track heaves itself from its foul lair to come crawling into the ear canals like a pungent liquid. I really like the vile feel of this platter as ‘Torches’ and in particular ‘Sulphur’ worm their way through those cold corridors by way of deep, churning guitars and a guitar plod that can only hint at ominous shadows and grim suggestion. Very much tuneful throughout, Grape Of The Vine is the sort of outing that is beneficial to the black metal scene in that it produces some truly foetid vocal sneers and an esoteric whiff of the sinister amidst its murky traits.

All the tracks are delivered with foggy aplomb; a creeping sickness of instrumentation, resulting in the likes of the squirming horrors of ‘Disobedience’ and the lurking terror that is ‘Nemesis’. Nothing beats a black metal foray where one cannot quite pinpoint the danger ahead, but as this album lumbers on within its lousy existence I’m just thankful that Mortuus has risen from its pit of slumber and given us this dim, aching, diseased opus as it makes for a wondrous if somewhat filthy break from the usual wall of scathing noise where it is often difficult to decipher one band from the other.

Fans of slower, sneaking black metal ungodliness will enjoy being engulfed by this ever thickening layer of impenetrable silt.

Neil Arnold

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