Mortuous: Through Wilderness

Marald Van Haasteren’s cover art captures the despair, frustration, and pain at the heart of this album. Since one of the tracks is actually titled “Screaming Headless,� I’m going to assume this is its accompanying picture. As cover art goes, this one is especially gruesome. Look at the way the ground swells up to meet that decaying torso. While you’re looking, make sure to check out the barely-there skull resting at the bottom center. After studying the cover for a while, listen to the song “Screaming Headless.� It captures the band’s brutal blend of death / doom while also offering up a few interesting surprises.

Even though Mortuous started out back in 2009, this is the band’s debut full-length album. It was worth waiting for. The album captures the band’s commitment to playing music that is brutal, dark, and extreme. Each of the eight tracks here are solid and powerful and show off a band that wants to join the ranks of those they admire most. I was especially fond of the aforementioned “Screaming Headless� but I also enjoyed “The Dead Yet Dream,� “Bitterness� amd “Prisoner Unto Past.� If you like death / doom, then I’m sure you’ll enjoy Mortuous. They know how to craft brutal songs while also adding a few extra layers to their sound just enough to stand out from the pack.

The band’s current lineup inclues Colin Tarvin (guitar), Mike Beams (vocals, guitar), Clint Roach (bass), and Chad Gailey (drums). The album itself was mixed at Earhammer Studios with Greg Wilkinson. It also features guest apperances by Chris Reifert and Danny Coralles (Autopsy), Derrel Houdashelt (ex-Exhumed), and Teresa Wallace (Dreaming Dead).

Track Listing:
1. Beyond Flesh
2. Bitterness
3. Chrysalis of Sorrow
4. The Dead Yet Dream
5. Anguish and Insanity
6. Through Wilderness
7. Prisoner Unto Past
8. Screaming Headless

Added: July 5th 2018
Reviewer: Carl Sederholm
Score:
Related Link: Band Facebook Page
Hits: 1203
Language: english

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