Gothic metal has become practically synonymous with the phrase female vocals and Morten Veland (the man behind this project) is no stranger to such a pairing. If you really know your stuff you will no doubt be aware that Veland was one of the principal musicians in Tristania before parting ways in 2001 and starting up a new band, Sirenia. With Sirenia still going strong, Morten left to pursue this solo project which is, in some ways at least, a breath of fresh Gothic air. Don’t get me wrong, I love my female fronted Goth metal and Morten has a pretty good track record but nowadays it seems like another five are surfacing by the hour churning out the same bland, generic stuff and I guess my point is Morten hasn’t gone for the safe option here.
I hate to repeat myself so much, but it goes to show how formulaic this style of music has become when I can listen to the music and just expect to hear those sultry feminine tones come in over the top and perhaps there is something initially a little uncomfortable about the bombastic male choir that belts out over tracks like ‘The One I Once Was’. The baritone vocals at first sound a bit over the top however as the album progresses and these are evened out with more typical growling it begins to make sense. There are some really strong melodies to be found on this album, and this initial track has a nice blanket of melancholic keyboard lines suspended above a sturdy metallic crunch.
‘The Pain Infernal and The Fall Eternal’ comes breezing in with a soaring keyboard melody and has quite a memorable chorus. The chorus, with its growled vocals and underlying sense of epicness is a highlight although the verse slows down quite unnaturally. There is some metal guitar work that seems to bridge things together rather well before sweeping up into a grandiloquent march ready to lead us out. It is the second half of this album where things really catch fire and while the first half does sound a bit contrived as things progress you really get to know what Mortemia are all about. ‘The Chain That Wields My Mind’ comes at you strong as steel with a firm crunch and some mighty riffs while the keyboards add that crestfallen gothic slant. The vocals on this are a much more straightforward, deep growl which shifts on the chorus which suddenly rises with an air of bombast as the symphonic elements all come out to play. This is one of the best tracks on the album as it just has a really nice flow to it which continues onto ‘The New Desire.’ The symphonic touches are just right on these tracks, and as it races forth with some vehement drumming you get a real sense of battle-swagger.
As previously mentioned it is refreshing to hear Mortemia steer away from the female fronted goth cliché and try something different although there are areas on this album that don’t quite work for me. The potential is undoubtedly there and perhaps album #2 will blow me away, but nevertheless this is recommended to fans of gothic metal who want something a bit different.
http://www.myspace.com/mortemiano
