Artist: Mora
Label: Self-released
Release: 2008
At long last, the idea of raw, uncompromising Black metal has awakened in the Pomurje region back home, an area where until now Thrash metal and Grind core have mostly been the only kings.
The musically gifted foursome only started working together constructively in the fall of 2007, and in less than half a year of actually playing and gigging, they managed to self-release their first demo with a very telling title: ”Slaughter begins”.
You could describe Mora’s music as primal, natural Black metal, with a dose of melody that goes beyond just playing the intro role. The sound on the album is very raw but polished, and maybe that’s exactly why they didn’t call it an E.p., because in terms of quality it beats plenty of studio albums by bands known all over the world.
The demo has four dynamic original songs that keep switching tempo and build a dark atmosphere, one you can feel at first glance just from the truly chilling cover. The perfectly executed build-up in the rhythm on the song ”Slaughter begins” deserves praise, as does the way the two vocals weave together and complement each other throughout the whole demo.
The guitars are praiseworthy too, sounding very distinct both in the faster parts and in the classic inserts that show up in the slower sections of the songs. It’s also worth mentioning that the recordings don’t have that typical Black metal “buzzsaw” sound, meaning overly distorted guitars, which keeps the demo clear enough that you can easily follow every instrument, except for the bass guitar, which is hard to hear under the constant drum artillery.
Last but not least, the drum section is tight and recorded with real feel and professionalism; the rhythm, the transitions and the ”blast beats” are all clearly audible, and there’s no shortage of them in any song.
In short, Mora have managed to create excellent Black metal that follows the old Scandinavian school of Black metal, while adding their own take and a special gloomy melos that recalls a dull, foggy day settling over Prekmurje.
The demo ”Slaughter begins” deserves the full attention of every metalhead who loves raw, harsh music expressed through Black metal. The songs feel natural and primal, and there are no melodic parts anywhere that serve as filler where imagination ran dry. Every second of the songs makes sense and sits exactly where it should, which gives us an original, flawless product whose quality reaches the world top of Old school Black metal.
Mora have proven that even in Slovenia it’s possible to record a demo in a very short time and so present your music to a wider audience, so let them be a role model for all the bands that haven’t done it yet.
Lineup
Jupoll – vocals, guitar
Nazgul – guitar
Lord Scavenger – bass guitar, backing vocals
Zli – drums
Production
Mora
Tracklist
1. Slaughter Begins (4:11)
2. Night Mother (5:25)
3. In the mourning mist (3:42)
4. The final battle (6:04)
Album length: 19:23
