Amid the wave of atmospheric black metal albums emerging from the underground arises the sinister sounds of the Ukraine's Agruss. Their atmospheric epics are tinged with melancholy, pain, suffering, and an unhealthy overdose of the wrath of a thousand hellish hounds with the scent of rotting flesh in their nostrils. The galloping black metal that stampedes across the album is fleshed out with death metal riffs, torturous atmospherics, and a vocal that, as with the instrumental assault, is utterly ruthless. Melodic lines clash with jarring chords and ragged riffs, doom and chaos ascend, and Agruss kick the shit out of every genre that they have dragged screaming into their demonic domain. And the simultaneous use of both death and black styles is ingenious, particularly in 'Ashes of the Future', a track so ferocious that a disclaimer should precede it. As much as the first half of the album would stand alone as an album of worth, the last twenty eight minutes is given over to 'Under The Snow', a three part epic that provides the best of their musicianship, their song-writing, and their performances.
A fistful of broken nails pounded relentlessly into the flesh, cracking, splintering and decimating the bone beneath, where atmospheric black metal albums end, Morok begins. Every shred of every sound torn from their instruments is mercilessly cast into the pit of fiery despair. Beneath the black and bleak lies a demonic wave of evil corruption threatening to burst upwards and tear down the very edifice of existence. Distorted, contorted, a malformed monstrous entity, Morok is as ugly as it gets and as beautifully captivating as they come. Highly recommended.
Track Listing:
- Damnation
- Morok
- Punishment For All
- Fire The Savior From Plague
- Ashes Of The Future
- When The Angels Fall
- Under The Snow I
- Under The Snow II
- Under The Snow III
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