Band: Mortualia
Title: Mortualia
Label: Moribund Records
Distribution: Moribund Records
Release date: June 28th 2011
Review: CD

One of the most active and influential personalities within the Finnish underground scene is Shatraug. The guy is involved with many projects, both in collaboration with other members (Sargeist, Blutschrei, Horna, Morbid Savouring and many others) as well being solo-artist (Black Stench, Necroslut, Mortualia), and as guest / session musician for bands like Angmar, Drowning The Light or Desolation Triumphalis too. His solo-outfit Mortualia is not that known (yet), even though Shatraug recorded a nameless album in 2007 under this moniker. The superb label Moribund re-releases this album, which includes a bonus track on top of the original recordings, to prepare us for the upcoming sophomore Mortualia-album later this year.
The six chants on this nameless album last for almost eighty (80!) minutes (the bonus track included) and differ somewhat from most things Shatraug is involved with. No, don’t get me wrong. Mortualia isn’t a project that dwells within poppy or happy spheres – at all. It must be Shatraug most depressive, oppressive, mournful and desolate alter ego, carefully balancing on the subtle edge between Suicidal Black and Funeral Doom. The very, very slow songs are based on a repetitive instrumentation and high-pitched screams. These vocals are much too hysterical, unfortunately, yet I guess it fits the most to those miserable tunes from the Deepest Abyss. The repetitive rhythms may cause problems of concentration for the songs lasting extremely long, and because of the lack of any additional detail whatsoever that might give a miniscule spot of enlightenment. Hypnotic, foggy, Arctic, it’s just the beginning of an endless list with unhappy terms to define this stuff.
I do have a modest problem with the sound as well. Underground all right, yet this sounds under-produced, except for the newly recorded bonus song, which comes with a sound more intensified and catching. This song, called Death Serenity, is, by the way, somewhat more droning and burzum-esquely Nordic.
To be honest, this must be one of my less favourite projects Shatraug is involved with. Don’t be afraid: everything this guy does, gets welcomed by undersigned with gratitude and respect; it’s just too un-inspired??? Yet, since the new track sounds better than the older ones, I am hopeful for the future. A future drowned in Utter Obscurity, I’m getting impatient…

80/100

Ivan Tibos.