MORTIIS – The Unraveling Mind

The unsettled and unsettling "The Unraveling Mind" by Norwegian electro-industrial artist Mortiis is essentially a previously unreleased soundtrack in the sense that the music was written for an underground horror movie, but very little of the music was ever actually used. Luckily for us, Mortiis recently decided to release this dark and vibrant record on vinyl (limited numbers, of course). The album is comprised of eleven pulsating and ominous compositions that are all highly atmospheric and nicely arranged. Musically, this is way more ambient/dark ambient/darkwave-like as opposed to electro-industrial sounding, but that is all the more reason to love this. The diversity of the Mortiis discography is awesome and "The Unraveling Mind" is yet another interesting chapter in the chronicle. Anyway, the songs do not feature any vocals but the sounds, the moods, the subtle details, and the nuances say more than a thousand words. This is truly a captivating and haunting piece of work that ought to be devoured on a dark, sleepless night. My favorite tune is probably "Submit" due to it being instantly memorable and utterly morose. The title track walks that fine line between being disturbing and beautiful, and it is simply superb. "Redeemer" is a little harsher and perhaps more rhythmic compared to most of the other tunes, which is to say that it adds variety to the whole thing. The claustrophobic "Virosus – Amentia" is a near-perfect ending to it all.

The tracks do have a cinematic quality to them and are rich in detail, but you need not think of them as supplements to a horror flick or anything like that. They will serve as the perfect soundtrack to your own mental journey along bad roads and bleak landscapes. Check the Mortiis Bandcamp website out this very instant if you want to get a hold of this excellent album on vinyl.

http://downloadmusic.mortiis.com/album/the-unraveling-mind