Featuring members of the dearly departed Wound Upon Wound in their ranks, Mortichnia are a mysterious four-piece who prefer to let their music do the talking.
Bonded by their mission to craft modern black metal with a cold and unforgiving edge, their debut album is a little like being on a night out with UFC’s Conor McGregor, as it’s a thrilling yet terrifying experience. At times ugly and intense (Searing Impulse) and others beautiful and serene (The Waning) the Irish quartet take us on an emotional journey during the course of five tracks that are heaving with surprising tempo changes, atmospheric interludes and lashings of misery and misanthropy.
The near-14-minute-long Carrion Proclamation is the standout and boasts a stunning lead guitar riff that’s made all the more remarkable by the bloody-throated screams it’s paired with.
A sinister slow-burner, everything builds to a satisfyingly meaty crescendo that’s all the more potent thanks to the band’s relative restraint for over half the track.
