Metal Storm logo
Musmahhu - Reign Of The Odious review



Reviewer:
N/A

32 users:
7.78
Band: Musmahhu
Album: Reign Of The Odious
Release date: January 2019


01. Apocalyptic Brigade Of Forbidden
02. Musmahhu, Rise
03. Slaughter Of The Seraphim
04. Burning Winds Of Purgatory (Mellanspel)
05. Reign Of The Odious
06. Spectral Congregation Of Anguish
07. Thirsting For Life's Terminus

2018 was a damn good year for death metal and it's just January of 2019 and we're already seeing that the trend continues into 2019.

Granted, Musmahhu isn't exactly death metal, as the blackened part of their sound often pulls them closer to black metal than death metal at times, but the point still stands. Plus it's released by Iron Bonehead Productions, so it's definitely a continuation of the great death metal trend. Musmahhu is another one of Swartadauþuz's projects (we don't have a lot of those on Metal Storm yet but a quick glimpse on Metal Archives and you'll see there's A LOT of those), but if they're half as good as this, they're worth exploring.

Swartadauþuz isn't the only member here, though he does the instrumental part. Vocals were done by one Likpredikaren, who has collaborated with Swartadauþuz previously on a few of his projects. Also I find it hard to believe that Likpredikaren is not Nergal, given that their vocals sound almost identical, which was one of my issues with the albums. Hearing it I almost always get the feeling that I'm listening to Behemoth even though Behemoth haven't made an album this putrid in about 15 years, so it often feels like the return to form for another band... which is I guess better than feeling like an album of outtakes from another band.

Besides the vocals, the instrumentals are incredibly well-performed and well-written, which is somewhat surprising given the one-man nature of it. There's cues of old-school Swedish death metal and old-school Swedish black metal and, updating to this century, Musmahhu also puts an emphasis on creating a quite claustrophobic and suffocating atmosphere through the production, and the immensely powerful riffs certainly add to that. Very little in terms of repetition, the songs are always moving and always evolving though there's less of a feel of where they're trying to go and not that much in terms of diversity. But what it does in those 40 minutes of run time it does extremely well.

Though not the most original of works, both musically and in having an extreme metal band named after a Mesopotamian mythological being, Reign Of The Odious really shines in most other departments. It's extremely tight and it sounds great. I just wish it sounded a bit less like Behemoth.

Let the reign start.





Written on 19.01.2019 by Doesn't matter that much to me if you agree with me, as long as you checked the album out.


Comments

Comments: 8   Visited by: 127 users
20.01.2019 - 02:32
nikarg

I had the same feeling as you did about it sounding close to Behemoth (the good side of them). The songwriting is quite inspired, the songs are well-executed and the whole thing sounds scary enough for me to like it.
Loading...
20.01.2019 - 11:49
LuciferOfGayness
Account deleted
Havent heard behemoth but if they use the same kind of production that is used here then its probably a bad thing sounding like them - the production is probably a bit too clear sounding on this album for my taste, othervise there is very, very much to like on this album. But it could be that I start to like the production as well as there are so many other albums that brings the murkyness.

GJ, reviewing this
Loading...
20.01.2019 - 12:46
RaduP
CertifiedHipster
Written by nikarg on 20.01.2019 at 02:32

I had the same feeling as you did about it sounding close to Behemoth (the good side of them). The songwriting is quite inspired, the songs are well-executed and the whole thing sounds scary enough for me to like it.

Yeah i was listening to this thinking "nik's gonna like this"
----
Do you think if the heart keeps on shrinking
One day there will be no heart at all?
Loading...
20.01.2019 - 12:48
RaduP
CertifiedHipster
Written by Guest on 20.01.2019 at 11:49

Havent heard behemoth

I find that hard to believe

But if that's the case go check out Zos Kia Cultus
----
Do you think if the heart keeps on shrinking
One day there will be no heart at all?
Loading...
20.01.2019 - 14:12
LuciferOfGayness
Account deleted
Written by RaduP on 20.01.2019 at 12:48

Written by Guest on 20.01.2019 at 11:49

Havent heard behemoth

I find that hard to believe

But if that's the case go check out Zos Kia Cultus

No thanks, the too many already like such stuff.
Loading...
20.01.2019 - 15:18
Mercurial

Written by Guest on 20.01.2019 at 14:12

No thanks, the too many already like such stuff.

Zos Kia is well worth it, leagues ahead of all other Behemoth.
Loading...
21.01.2019 - 22:45
roeder

Quote:
Musmahhu is another one of Swartadauþuz's projects (we don't have a lot of those on Metal Storm yet but a quick glimpse on Metal Archives and you'll see there's A LOT of those), but if they're half as good as this, they're worth exploring.

Haven't had the time to check out this band yet, however I can assure everyone that his other projects are indeed worth exploring. Especially Azelisassath, Bekëth Nexëhmü and Gnipahålan. Bekëth Nexëhmü is especially interesting as all of their material is apparently wholly improvised, which is quite mind-boggling.
Loading...
21.01.2019 - 23:49
RaduP
CertifiedHipster
Written by roeder on 21.01.2019 at 22:45

Quote:
Musmahhu is another one of Swartadauþuz's projects (we don't have a lot of those on Metal Storm yet but a quick glimpse on Metal Archives and you'll see there's A LOT of those), but if they're half as good as this, they're worth exploring.

Haven't had the time to check out this band yet, however I can assure everyone that his other projects are indeed worth exploring. Especially Azelisassath, Bekëth Nexëhmü and Gnipahålan. Bekëth Nexëhmü is especially interesting as all of their material is apparently wholly improvised, which is quite mind-boggling.

Alright I probably should dive deeper into the man's work
----
Do you think if the heart keeps on shrinking
One day there will be no heart at all?
Loading...

Hits total: 4063 | This month: 11