ALBUM REVIEW: Fata Morgana – Marianas Rest

While the old school death metal renaissance shows no signs of slowing and has captured the ears and minds of many a listener, it’s not the only sub-genre seeing a resurgence. Melodic death metal has been not-so-quietly growing with bands churning out quality release after quality release and Finland’s MARIANAS REST are no exception. 

With their third album, also their first for Napalm Records, Fata Morgana on the horizon, the band are stamping their own take on doom-inflected melodeath. Over the course of their previous two albums the band have steadily crafted and honed their sound, a blend of slow-burning songs steeped in emotion reminiscent of stalwarts INSOMNIUM and a hefty dose of synths to broaden the sonic palette.

From the soft synth introduction to opener Sacrificial with its spoken word sample leading into a yearning melodic lead atop crushing guitars, it’s immediately apparent what MARIANAS REST are about. Jaakko Mäntymaa’s opening scream is a pleading cry before his more guttural bellow makes itself known. Drawing on Finnish landscapes and the cold, harsh beauty of winter, the atmospheric elements, especially on songs like Glow From The Edge and the title track, are both lush and hypnotising. 

If you’re looking for fast-paced aggression or breakneck speeds you’ll mostly be left disappointed. MARIANAS REST do employ some faster moments and the tempo shifts are well-executed such as the opener to Pointless Tale that starts out with rapid double bass drumming before switching to a gloomier pace. For the most part Fata Morgana prefers to keep things slow, the emotional weight grinding down to nothingness such as on The Weight with its glacial tempo. Speaking of The Weight, it’s also the longest song on the album, clocking in at around nine and a half minutes; its opening vocal motif repeating in various guises as the song develops throughout its runtime. 

The band certainly don’t shy away from longer songs. The shortest, Horrokseen, is a mere three minutes plus change and is an instrumental interlude featuring swelling synths as well as swirling guitars. The rest of the songs here are somewhere between six and eight minutes with several running around the seven minute mark; brevity certainly isn’t their strong suit but it’s never without purpose. The longer runtime gives breathing room, with songs flowing organically between softer, atmospheric passages to crushing doom, exemplified on the title track. 

If there is criticism to be had it would simply be that songs are all of a similar tempo – but to argue this is to miss the point of Fata Morgana and the variety of textures within. The expansive string-led moments in the title track are a far cry from South of Vostok’s equally expressive, but more minimalist, yearning leads backed by swelling synths Managing to be both aggressive and lamenting, Fata Morgana’s gloomy overtures are emotionally raw without sacrificing heaviness. Their brand of doomy melodeath may not be groundbreaking but their take on it is expansive and atmospheric with a hefty dose of melancholy that draws in and suffocates you under its weight. 

Rating: 8/10

Fata Morgana is set for release on March 12th via Napalm Records. 

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