ALBUM REVIEW: Old Eyes, New Heart – Madder Mortem
MADDER MORTEM have been steadily plucking away for years as one of the more singular bands in the world of genre-bending progressive metal. Five years on from their last studio offering in the excellent Marrow, the Norwegian quintet are back with their eighth record Old Eyes, New Heart – a work born of painful circumstances but marked by defiant strength and hope in the face of adversity.
The album gets an explosive beginning through the twisted rhythms of Coming From The Dark. The harmony-dense, heavily downtuned guitars, and angular drums place it in MADDER MORTEM’s signature style which defies strict genre descriptions – a hodge-podge of post-metal, power-prog, moody goth and alternative, it lives somewhere between MASTODON, NEVERMORE, KATATONIA and MUSE. On Guard offers a gear change with its bluesy gothic Americana, whereas Master Tongue sees them flex their riff muscles through a dark prog opus with a crushing breakdown. This musical versatility is more than matched by Agnete Kirkevaag’s mesmerising vocals, which range between a controlled alto, frenzied screams and operatic heights.
The five-year gap leading up to the record’s release is in part caused by the painful event that inspires much of its themes – the loss of Kirkevaag and her brother BP’s (guitars, vocals, production) father Jakob, a huge supporter of the band and author of the cover art (which was finished posthumously by artist Costin Chioreanu). Musically and lyrically, Old Eyes, New Heart goes through the flurry of emotions unleashed by the death of a closed one. From the claustrophobic isolation of Towers to the world-weary elegy of Cold Hard Rain which in its thunderous second half paints a picture of a full-blown nightmare, the sincerity and intensity of the emotions which MADDER MORTEM seek to express comes through vividly.
While there’s a great deal of variety on the album, Old Eyes, New Heart is tonally cohesive and plays wonderfully as a whole piece. Moreover, it sounds simply stunning. The frequent wall-of-sound frenzy does not obscure any of the intricate arrangements – the production rewards with new sonic discoveries during each new listen – while the moments of soft balladry pulsate with the fragility of an intimate live performance. Album closer Long Road is a perfect example of the latter. As if breathing a final sigh of acceptance, Kirkevaag’s peaceful vibrato flows into the listener’s ear: “It’s been a long slow road, but we’re finally home / It’s been a hard few years, but we’re out of it now”.
Musically adventurous and lyrically stirring, with Old Eyes, New Heart MADDER MORTEM have produced a great example of how to deliver a fully fleshed-out album, and created a tremendous addition to an already impressive body of work.
Rating: 9/10
Old Eyes, New Heart is out now via Dark Essence Records.
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