Mhorgl are an Aussie black metal band, but there's no straightforward Destroyer 666-style black-thrash barbarism here- this is a different animal altogether. There's no shortage of fierce and cacophonous riffing on display, but it's all very technical and spasmodic, constantly shifting from one chaotic rhythm to the next, the songs clattering and grinding forward, then suddenly deconstructing or launching into sporadic gallops, the whole thing finished off with constant bouts of demented melodic noodling.
It's certainly an unconventional listen. 'Inheriting the Mantle of Power' thunders along tumultuously in the vein of more recent Marduk, whilst throwing in interjections of over-the-top widdling, and a big, fat galloping groove midway through. 'Ophidian Legacy' slips and slides all over the place, churning away with discordant glee, weaving drunkenly from side to side in awkward and delirious melodic bursts, suddenly slamming on the handbrake every now and then with some tight and jarring stop-start riffs.
There's a reliance on manic, lightning-fast technical riffing throughout, and this works pretty well when it's employed alongside a tight, punky framework, such as on 'Ravenous Wargod', which has the balls-out catchiness of Kveterlak about it, or on 'Black Wolf Militia', which has a rabid, Taake-like black 'n roll feel. It's massively over-used throughout the album however, and often just becomes plain irritating. 'Fallen' is fairly conventional, reminding of the breathless pace and energy of classic Dissection, albeit with a slicker, more clinical feel, but even here the band seem unable to avoid showing off their (admittedly highly impressive) technical chops to the exception of everything else, flying off into uber-widdle territory whether it suits the song or not.
'Impiety Storm' is perhaps the most indulgent track on the album, clocking in at a good 7 and a half minutes and endlessly battering the listener over the head with constant brain-melting time-changes whilst generating more random shredding than a runaway combine harvester. I'm tempted to make a reference to Brain Drill, but best not to, as MTUK's Lee Kimber is still recovering from reviewing their last album, and mention of their name still sends him into spontaneous seizures. Plus it would give an inaccurate impression; there are some good ideas and arrangements to be found on 'Heresiarch', it's just a shame that musical one-upmanship is so frequently allowed to take precedence over the actual songs. There's a distinct lack of feeling as well, not helped by the overly clinical production, and whilst there might be plenty here to engage the aspiring musician, the over-reliance on superfluous technicality is more likely to leave the casual listener feeling underwhelmed and frustrated, the album whizzing past in a dense blur that gratifies and grates in equal measures.
http://www.myspace.com/mhorgl
Ross Taylor
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