Throughout mankind's history, debate is ongoing over what elements of life are truly most defining of its value. In other words, what makes the world go 'round? Different individuals will argue for wealth, sex or fame, but there are a select group of us that know the answer lies elsewhere. The answer to the ultimate question of life, the universe and everything is riffs. Punchy, rhythmic, chunky, fast, Thrashy Death Metal, riffs. Take my word for it that Mortius, as an entity, understands the value and meaning of the riff, allowing the riffs to speak through them rather than speaking their own messages through the riffs. This is a quality that every great Death Metal band absolutely needs to have in order to be held in high regard with the genre's forefathers.
Mortius formed all the way back in 2011, and they took their sweet time perfecting their craft; chiseling their sound into something to be completely proud of. In February of 2018, the band finally dropped their long-awaited debut, and it certainly sounds like a band that has, at long last, reached a point of maturity. Some of these songs have existed for years in different forms, slowly festering in their catacombs, and they have finally broken free from their crypts; they've come for blood. I remember when Mortius finally had their live emergence in 2016, and I was actually getting phone calls and messages from friends after their set, telling me how much I missed out; well, my friends were right. I managed to catch them the next time they came through, and the energy and thrill amongst the members was there. All of us knew that this would be massive.
The past few years in Death Metal have created much excitement, immediacy and a rejuvenation for the genre in a lot of ways. There seems to be a multitude of waves in Death Metal emerging and rapidly evolving, each wave embodying its own sound; and I believe that Mortius' debut could mark the start of another new wave. They don't have the Death/Doom sound of bands like Tomb Mold and Hooded Menace, and they don't have the cavernous sound of entities such as Corpsessed. What Mortius does is exhibit a fresh take on Death/Thrash that calls back to influences such as Bolt Thrower, Morbid Angel and Cannibal Corpse as much as it displays an appreciation for the newer acts like Gatecreeper. All of these combine in a way that I've never heard before, and I've heard a lot of Death Metal.
The slow, atmospheric introduction to the record doesn't prepare you for what comes after in "Butchered by Moloch," which acts almost as a much-welcomed jump scare. The tight performance is sure to get your adrenaline pumping. The drums pummel behind the prolific guitar and bass performances, introducing grooves and blast-beats and a fair amount of thrash-inspired rhythms on top of that. Vocally, the patterns continually remain interesting, giving that deep growl that we all love; but with a performance that's more inspired than most, and one that shows that a lot of practice went into not running out of breath during these songs. The production on the record is crisp and clean, but still allows the band to exude their energy and message proficiently.
If the Death Metal that you're listening to has a primary emphasis on anything other than riffs, then you're probably listening to the wrong Death Metal. Mortius is the band you need to catch up on, because what they're doing is fresh and, in many ways, inventive. I'm not saying that they've created a new subgenre, but I am saying that, as with all great bands, their influences combine in a totally unique way. The band's inspirations are the right ones to have in a new Death Metal band, so keep your eye on them as they move forward. They've just finished recording their new EP, so you won't be waiting another seven years for the next one. Mortius is here, they aren't leaving, so listen and embrace the riff.
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