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Morgoth - Ungod review



Reviewer:
8.6

67 users:
7.75
Band: Morgoth
Album: Ungod
Release date: March 2015


01. House Of Blood
02. Voice Of Slumber
03. Snakestate
04. Black Enemy
05. Descent Into Hell
06. Ungod
07. Nemesis
08. God Is Evil
09. Traitor
10. Prison In Flesh
11. The Dark Sleep
12. Die As Deceiver [bonus]
13. Battalions Of Strangers [Fischer-Z cover] [bonus]

After Morgoth's 2014 Single God Is Evil blew me away, I didn't know what to expect from Ungod, especially since the band lost original fronter Marc Grewe right before the new album even got off the ground.

Trying to get back into the game after 19 years of radio silence; could they pull it off? Would Disbelief's Karsten Jäger be able to fill those (vocal) shoes? The answer to both questions is yes and yes.

With Ungod the band went back to their roots per se and it could have easily been the follow up to their 1991 debut Cursed. For me, Odium was a result of being trendy in 1993's death metal circle and let's not even mention 1996's Feel Sorry For The Fanatic ? seriously, let's not.

Morgoth was never all that technical with their riffing and I for one don't dismiss this as a flaw. It seems like they dug up the 'tried and true' blueprints and built the foundation of their new album accordingly. A mid-tempo atmosphere throughout the entire album, the familiar groove, combined with Death like riffs ? well hello there Morgoth - welcome back.

Songs such as "Snakestate" and "Prison In Flesh" hit the nail head on with their melodic passages while still maintaining their brutal feel. "Nemesis" has that very familiar groove to it, while "Descent Into Hell" not only features a nice little break down but also shines with a great guitar solo. The choice to make the title track an instrumental piece, while not the norm, really worked in this case and vocals wouldn't do the song justice in my opinion.

And speaking of vocals, Jagger is a worthy replacement of Grewe, and even though he can't touch those trademark high screams of his predecessor, I for one like his vocal approach. Since Morgoth recorded the song "God Is Evil" with both of them (once for the single and then for the actual album) you might want to compare the song side by side and judge for yourself.

Death metal is not a complicated genre and while Germany was never the mecca of all things death it's refreshing to hear Morgoth's version anno 2015.







Written on 22.03.2015 by Former boss lady. Now just a professional concertgoer... dangerously armed with a camera!


Comments

Comments: 12   Visited by: 234 users
22.03.2015 - 22:27
BitterCOld
The Ancient One
Want to check this out. liked Morgoth back in the day.
----
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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23.03.2015 - 06:14
Cynic Metalhead
Paisa Vich Nasha
Good review. Will check out.

I heard some tracks from previous releases and they were terrific. This one looks interesting.
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23.03.2015 - 17:26
Frudd
Account deleted
I do recall liking odium. i should give this a listen.
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23.03.2015 - 17:47
jupitreas
hi-fi / lo-life
Hmm, considering that "Feel Sorry For The Fanatic" is the only moderately inspired album that Morgoth produced, I doubt this new stuff is anything interesting. I'll take experimentation over second-tier death metal any day!
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23.03.2015 - 22:57
Darkside Momo
Retired
Written by jupitreas on 23.03.2015 at 17:47

Hmm, considering that "Feel Sorry For The Fanatic" is the only moderately inspired album that Morgoth produced, I doubt this new stuff is anything interesting. I'll take experimentation over second-tier death metal any day!

Odium was certainly inspired and original But yeah, this new album is more like Cursed so you won't like it I guess... Old-school fans never liked "Feel Sorry..." anyway (too bad for them )
----
My Author's Blog (in French)


"You must stay drunk on writing so reality cannot destroy you"

"I've lost too many years now
I'm stealing back my soul
I am awake"
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24.03.2015 - 12:24
kezzapgurbuz

Its not Morgoth, its Melkor, have some respect for the dark lord
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24.03.2015 - 17:46
Bad English
Tage Westerlund
Craig you have a good life back in a day
knowing this band IMO underground , I wish I have such life back in a day whit out net
----
Life is to short for LOVE, there is many great things to do online !!!

Stormtroopers of Death - ''Speak English or Die''
apos;'
[image]
I better die, because I never will learn speek english, so I choose dieing
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24.03.2015 - 22:25
Marcel Hubregtse
Grumpy Old Fuck
Morgoth were on Century Media so totally NOT underground. But they were second tier Death wannabees at best back in the day.
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Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal

Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight
Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.)
05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996

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24.03.2015 - 23:26
Darkside Momo
Retired
Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 24.03.2015 at 22:25

But they were second tier Death wannabees at best back in the day.

Maybe second tier, I don't care for that, but they sure had a way to convey emotions that appealed to me immediately

Oh and about the review: "19 years of studio silence" would have been more appropriate as they reformed a few years ago for a few festivals shows (saw them at HF, 2010 or 2011, I can't remember). Anyway, nice review; Jager gets the job done and then some but I still prefer Grewe's vocals
----
My Author's Blog (in French)


"You must stay drunk on writing so reality cannot destroy you"

"I've lost too many years now
I'm stealing back my soul
I am awake"
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26.03.2015 - 20:30
Koen Smits

Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 24.03.2015 at 22:25

Morgoth were on Century Media so totally NOT underground. But they were second tier Death wannabees at best back in the day.


Normally you call Morgoth third tier Death wannabees. So I see you're in a good mood today
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RIP: Frank Vandenbroucke (6 nov 1974 - 12 oct 2009)

Written by Bad English on 05.04.2014 at 15:05

but spoil thius film is like spoil porn and say porn ends whit cum shot ...
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28.03.2015 - 23:57
Rating: 5
Rulatore

This album is boring, not so many good riffs, the production sucks, I'm surprised by this rating.
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06.04.2015 - 04:00
BitterCOld
The Ancient One
Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 24.03.2015 at 22:25

Morgoth were on Century Media so totally NOT underground. But they were second tier Death wannabees at best back in the day.


yeah, they were on the original Death's Door comp, which was my access point to a lot of stuff, along with good old Metal Maniacs.
----
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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