Mortiis
The Great Deceiver

Mortiis, the band and the frontman are back with a new album, their ninth according to the information that accompanied this album in my emailbox. Norwegian band is how they can be described in terms of nationality and it is said that this album was born from journeys in dark places and all kinds of hell – an album frontman Mortiis says he just wanted to get out of his system, and now he has. So what about the album that is called The Great Deceiver?

Musically it is quite simplistic with simple melodies and fairly catchy choruses and so on. It is a bit of electronic metal punk or something like that, besides the similar bands I guess bands like Death SS and Enslaved can also be decent comparisons, the former as a whole and the latter as the sound is quite similar. Good production, decent vocals for the style, it is a solid effort. Although the album feels a bit long with a playing time near the hour and the variation isn’t that impressive either - but what about the album as a whole then?

I think I will describe it as a pretty good album, nothing fantastic or amazing but a very solid effort that is a good album to listen to. A bit on the long side as stated and the lack of a hit song are a few small niggles but I do believe that fans of Mortiis and the similar bands that have been mentioned probably will find this quite impressive. I think it is one of this albums that you enjoy for a while and then forget when the next good album shows up.

The songs are quite equal to me, and that lack of a hit song or focal point is the biggest letdown for an album that in general is a very solid effort. Mortiis does okay with this album and I guess that the best thing is that he and his band has gotten it out of the system, it doesn’t quite grab me but I wouldn’t discard it purely on that as some of you will find it worth giving it a chance. In the end it is a solid effort that doesn’t manage to write itself in to the history books of musical greatness.

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