MORTUALIA – Mortualia
- Posted on 06-10-2011
"Mortualia" comes from the barren depths of the uber-prolific Shatraug (Horna/Sargeist). Originally released in 2007, this re-issue is brought to us by Moribund Cult who seem intent on finding little known gems such as this and bringing them back to the public conscious.
If gloomy, desolate Black Metal is your thing, then this definitely something that will interest you. So what makes it stand out from the slew of ‘depressive’ BM releases in recent years? Firstly, there is the riffing – measured, engaging and claustrophobic. Then there is the atmosphere. For an album of this type the atmosphere has got to envelop you like a freezing fog and hold you enthralled until the dim and dismal end. Shatraug manages this trick because the vibe he creates is so consistent that there is nothing to break the spell.
With an added bonus track to bring the running time up to almost 70 minutes, this hypnotic piece of work is an example of how this type of BM should be done.