Band: Morowe
Title: Pieklo. Labirynty. Diably.
Label: Revolution Records/ Witching Hour Productions
Distribution: Witching Hour Productions
Release date: 01/10/2010
Review: CD

Morowe are a nasty trio with well-known names within the Polish underground (Black) Metal scene. The band consists of Nihil (v, g, k, b, production and mix at S-Tracks Studio), known from e.g. Quintessence Of Hate, Furia, Massemord, Niphates or CSSABA, BaronVonB (d) of Nuclear Vomit, Incinerate Infection and Infatuation Of Death-fame, and Hans (g, b, k) from Ulcer Uterus.

Morowe’s debut, with Polish lyrics about man’s insanity and its extremes (the absolute versus nihilism), was mastered at Hertz Studio (Hellveto, Deivos, Emeth, The End Of All Reason, Vesania a.o.) earlier this year. It took over a year to record it, but the result is amazing. The eight tracks last for almost fifty minutes and bring an icy, painful and bloody form of Post-Black Supremacy.Pieklo. Labirynty. Diably. starts with a mesmerizing, freezing intro ("Wstep") and soon continues as an apocalyptic soundtrack for Armageddon. As from "Komenda" on, Morowe brings rather slow and varying, pretty modern Post-Blackness with an industro-mechanical yet perfectly keened sound. It does remind me to bands / projects as, especially, Tulus, yet also Khold, Merrimack, Ruins and Thorns are comparable projects. The individual tracks do differ (a lot) from each other, and in spite of the lacking ‘own-face’, the average quality (compositions, lyrics, performance and production) is so high that this album can be considered, easily, one of the better releases in its specific sub-genre in years. Besides, Pieklo. Labirynty. Diably. consists of some surprisingly agreeable pieces, far above the ‘grey average’, and it makes this album a worthy release for every fan, without exception, of Post-Black Metal.

Even though the whole isn’t that ‘original’ at all, this album does contain some unique parts – something I cannot but like because of the intension to do so, as well as the knowledge and experience to do it minutely. And a few times the border with Suicidal Black and Funeral Doom gets so close… Something not to be ignored!

87/100

Ivan Tibos.