ALBUM REVIEW: Seven – Mors Principium Est
What bands spring to mind when you read the words melodic death metal? IN FLAMES? DARK TRANQUILLITY? AT THE GATES? Whoever it is, it’s unlikely to be MORS PRINCIPIUM EST. Which is a crying shame because this Finnish band have enjoyed a long career as flagbearers for the ‘melodeath’ scene and crafted some impressive albums in their time. Seven, is their rather unimaginatively titled seventh full-length and finds them in fine form. They’ve not compromised their vision and are still spreading the joy of galloping guitar leads, gruff vocals and energetic metal songs.
It’s especially impressive when you consider that there’s only two of them. Singer Ville Viljanen and guitarist Andy Gillion are all that remains of the band who recorded 2017’s Embers Of A Dying World. Original guitar player Jarko Kokko might be floating around in the background, but as far as we can tell is a touring member and isn’t involved in any of the writing or recording anymore. Even with their ranks depleted though, Seven is a well-executed and efficient hour of high octane headbanging.
Fans of all-things guitar oriented will want to check this out. Seven is all about the riffs and MORS PRINCIPIUM EST have so many it would make DARK ANGEL jealous. They have fast riffs, chunky riffs, riffs that climb on rocks…Gillion has filled this record with enough spiralling solos, intricate fills and chord progressions to power the large hadron collider. The orchestral introduction to A Day For Redemption for instance gives way to the sort of razor edged fretwork that results in smoke billowing from the axe.
This gives MORS PRINCIPIUM EST an almost-prog level of invention. In less adventurous hands, the likes of March To War would be a simple mosh tune with a call and response chorus. Here though, it’s a dense and complex song. Plus, Viljanen does a decent job of ringing an emotive performance without once resorting to clean vocals. You don’t always need to sing like a nightingale to get the tears flowing.
Rebirth on the other hand shows off their thrash influences. The Bay Area is stamped all over it but somehow, MORS PRINCIPIUM EST add a grandiose and multi-dimensional air. There’s another quality solo in there and a tortured soul chorus too. Once the comparatively brief instrumental interlude Reverence is out the way, there’s Master Of The Dead to enjoy. To put it mildly, MORS PRINCIPIUM EST knock this one right out of the park. It’s a huge, towering beast of a song, six and a half minutes of blast beats, strangled vocals and more top-notch guitar playing. Listen to it with headphones on and it’s like having a spectacular science fiction epic unfold inside your ears.
They leave no room for a breather though as The Everlong Night’s malevolent orchestral metal follows. MORS PRINCIPIUM EST recall their countrymen SENTENCED here with their Gothic spin on thrash, albeit not quite so depressed. But it’s on closing number My Home My Grave that they fully come out of the Goth closet, clad all in black and with their eyes and nails done. There are shades of both CRADLE OF FILTH and THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA in this one. It’s another (black) feather in their cap and a rewarding finale for anyone that sticks it through to the end.
Despite their sparse line-up then, MORS PRINCIPIUM EST have hit the proverbial bullseye. Seven is overflowing with ideas, the musicianship is consistently good and the songs are all massive. There’s nothing that resembles a radio hit and nothing to give casual listeners an instant sugar rush. If you’re in the mood for a high quality melodeath record from one of the unsung heroes of the genre, look no further. You could pick over Seven for years and find something new each time. Recommended.
Rating: 9/10
Seven is out now via AFM Records.
Like MORS PRINCIPIUM EST on Facebook.