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Mhorgl - Heresiarch review




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Reviewer:
7.9

2 users:
7
Band: Mhorgl
Album: Heresiarch
Release date: October 2011


01. Inheriting the Mantle of Power
02. Ophidian Legacy
03. Black Wolf Militia
04. Ravenous Wargod
05. The Seed of Rebellion
06. Fallen
07. Hostis Humani Generis
08. Impiety Storm
09. Soliloquy
10. Terror Manifesto
11. The Hubris Of The Departed
12. Purity

Hot damn, there's something about blackened thrash that really gets the blood flowin'. Deströyer 666, Aura Noir, old Toxic Holocaust, Skeletonwitch...All great black-thrash to help get your stoke on. Well, let's throw Mhorgl onto the pile, shall we?

So looking at the promo photos & album cover (as well as origin), it's easy to believe these guys are some sort of Deströyer 666 worship band. Well, in a sense, they are. The approach is strikingly similar, and Heresiarch definitely pushes all the same buttons Deströyer 666 does, but with a few changed elements. There definitely is a slight tinge of punkish rock n roll tossed in from time to time (most notably in "Ravenous Wargod"), bringing me in mind of a touch of Kvelertak. It's got a slightly "smaller" feel than Deströyer 666, seemingly based more off of frantic riff-work than creating a massive steamrolling sound.

Unfortunately, Heresiarch is not without flaw. The constant Deströyer 666 comparisons seen in this review don't come lightly. Despite executing the sound extremely well, Mhorgl too frequently sound like a poor mans version of their fellow Australians. "Ophidian Legacy", "Fallen" and "Ravenous Wargod" are all tracks drenched in their own incredibly entertaining personality, it's a shame they didn't explore this a little more deeply.

...And those acoustic interludes. Having one can sometimes act as a nice segue between two halves of an album, or offer a nice break, but three is just overkill. Three acoustic interludes on an album like this really just snuffs out a lot of the intense energy that makes up the rest of the album.

All this being said, Mhorgl are really onto something. I think it might be another album or two before we see these guys at their full potential, but there's no harm in jumping on the bandwagon early with this extremely solid, albeit not-quite-amazing release.





Written on 24.12.2011 by Former EIC. Now just a reviewer guy.


Comments

Comments: 4   Visited by: 229 users
24.12.2011 - 09:43
BitterCOld
The Ancient One
Sounds interesting, if even "derivative."
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get the fuck off my lawn.

Beer Bug Virus Spotify Playlist crafted by Nikarg and I. Feel free to tune in and add some pertinent metal tunes!
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24.12.2011 - 10:02
Milena
gloom cookie
I love that cover and your review.
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7.0 means the album is good
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24.12.2011 - 10:24
Troy Killjoy
perfunctionist
Looks like my review of Vektor...

*flames review*

But seriously, I'll definitely look into this. I love D36 so if this is anything like any of their releases I'll at least be looking at a 7+ album.
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"Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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04.01.2012 - 14:52
Nefarious
Doom Knight
I have been meaning to check these guys out. It sounds quite interesting from the review.

I know the drummer Louis Rando from his time in Nervecell, but he stopped being their tour drummer in order to focus on this band full time. Nice to see them getting some exposure.
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"FUCK!!! You're the fucking 5th person asking me in an interview about the woman in the bathtub?The problem is that I AM the fucking person in the bathtub, and I AM a fucking MAN, for fuck's sake! I hate you all!" ~ Herr Morbid
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