MALUMMORTEM - Volume I
Black Mass Prayers
While I was first checking out this release it dawned on me that I've been listening to Black Metal, especially off the beaten path Black Metal, for a very very long fuckin time. Now obviously the genre has grown over the decades and shout out limbs all over the place. Two limbs or sub genres of Black Metal which I've always found fun / interesting are the Suicidal and Depressive BM sub-genres. Now when I say "fun" let me explain.
Obviously I'm not the target audience for anything suicidal or depressive. Hey I'm a happy guy and yeah hate is the handshake I give to the world. The thing with me is how can you be a suicidal BM artist and still be around for twenty years? Next as far as the depressive BM stuff goes after listening to two of a artist's full lengths I get depressed. Thankfully these people are not on anti-depressants or they'd be involved in mass shootings. So yes stay off the meds and just play Black Metal.
Be that as it may there's some blackened beauty in these BM sub-genres which you cannot deny if your a fan. Case in point here we have the second full length from Italy's MALUMMORTEM. This is a one man band (ain't they all) with Valentino Aragues performing everything (as usual) which is electric & acoustic guitars, drums, maybe bass but I can't really determine that on listening to this.
Valentino Aragues started this act back in 2023. His first full length came out the following year. Since then he's released some short form releases. From what I see most of them appear on this release like "Hate God and Kill Yourself", "Awaiting for my Death" and "You Were My Angel".
With that all said yeah musically it's the usual I love BURZUM effect with the cold riffage sound structures and pain filled vocals. But I give Valentino Aragues credit for introducing some of his own cultural touches especially with the acoustic passages. BM music like this these days needs a twist to be inviting. Along with the before mentioned acoustic stuff there's good straight up guitar solos. Obviously there's a melancholy vibe once in a while.
In the end it's been a while since I've blasted something like this other than a few Moribund Records favorites from years ago. But on the good side it's been a while since I've heard a decent artist do DSBM well enough to enjoy. MALUMMORTEM's Volume I full length should be a modern day start for all DSBM fans. Also we can all look forward to Volume Two unless he offs himself.
LISTEN TO & BUY IT HERE:
https://blackmassprayers.bandcamp.com/album/volume-i
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