Moorah is stepping out of the shadows once again.
Now led by Count Hroozah (vocals/guitar), Severan (bass), Silenthell (timbales, Master’s Hammer), and FX Grond (drums, Aschenvater), the band has signed with Art Gates Records for the release of its second album, The Beast Called Ego.
Ashok (Somnum Foris, ex-Root, ex-Cradle of Filth) also contributed on guitar.
Left Hand of Darkness starts off fairly slowly but with a mystical sound that gradually fills the atmosphere, making it heavy before unleashing its first dissonant and intoxicating melodies, only to let them blaze even more intensely afterward, even featuring some vocal parts that are at first hazy, then much more furious. The rhythm section doesn’t hesitate to follow suit either, and although a few sharper sections appear, it remains very dense, but ultimately transitions fairly quickly into Breitspurbahn Egotrip, which also features an introduction but quickly shifts into sinister and oppressive riffs. Old School influences naturally shine through on this track, with furious harmonics that rival the growls, but it suddenly changes completely along the way, then resumes its charge toward Eternal Ahasver, not without another shift toward more plaintive roots. The third track starts off much more melodic, but it soon plunges headlong into a darkness that’s certainly haunting, while offering a striking, ethereal experience as the abrasive foundation rages in waves, allowing a few touches of softness to create an intoxicating contrast from time to time. A more imposing sound returns with Baptism of Scum, a track that proves quite haunting, even incorporating a few touches of clean vocals to give our progression an almost ritualistic quality and making the acceleration even more chilling, especially when the percussion joins the rhythm section. We move on to Vasa Ship, a track that borders on doom in its opening moments but remains very dark and doesn’t hesitate to return to rawer elements or screeching sounds, once again making the whole thing quite dreamlike before picking up the pace significantly on Demon za krkem, a track where screams of terror are heard from the very first moments, transforming the onslaught into a veritable ocean of darkness that despite its softer moments, remains imbued with the occult power unleashed during the most ferocious passages, leading up to a majestic finale that marks the end of the album.
With The Beast Called Ego, Moorah succeeds in creating a truly dark cocoon where we find, of course, mystical, even ritualistic elements, but also a certain occult violence that is rare these days.
80/100
