Band:	Morgul Blade
Album:	Heavy Metal Wraiths
Style:	Heavy metal, Blackened heavy metal
Release date:	April 2024

01. Eagle Strike
02. Beneath The Black Sails
03. Heavy Metal Wraiths
04. Frostwyrm Cavalry
05. Widow's Lament
06. Spider God
07. Razor Sharp
08. A Welcoming Hearth
09. Neither Cross Nor Crown
10. The Last In A Line Of Kings

The Morgul Blade has struck again, unleashing a wave of pure headbanging action through its corrupted Heavy Metal Wraiths.

Morgul Blade are a newly established US heavy metal group founded by Klauf (vocals/guitars/synthesizers) back in 2018. Soon afterwards, Klauf welcomed Spectre (drums, synthesizers) and then Jim Viola (bass) into the fold; now acting as a trio, the band went on to unleash their full-length debut Fell Sorcery Abounds in 2021. Now, 3 years down the line, the band turn their attention towards sophomore effort Heavy Metal Wraiths. This time, the band having recruited a second guitarist in the form of Elyse NightHawk. Having two guitarists working in tandem adds a whole new level of oomph, but how else does this latest release stack up against their reasonably solid debut?

Let me start with the band name Morgul Blade, which is derived from the short bladed weapon carried by the Nazgûl of Middle-Earth, the purpose of which was to poison the enemy, eventually turning them into a wraith possessed by the Dark Lord; the album title perhaps indicates that the foursome themselves have been subject to a Morgul Blade, and thus have become Heavy Metal Wraiths under the possession of Sauron himself. Tolkien-based themes in this new album's lyrics are a continuation from the band's debut, which featured clear references in the titles of tracks such as "He Who Sits Upon The Black Throne Of Angmar / The Morgul Blade" and "In The Grip Of The Dark Lord".

Moving onto the music, it is mostly traditional heavy metal at its core, with the fresh twin guitar duo taking centre stage, supported by a very well executed rapid-fire rhythm section. The guitar tone carries a noticeably meaty sound, and there are plenty of top-quality classic galloping heavy riffs to admire, intertwined with impressive speedy melodic leads. However, there is more going on here than a simple case of classic NWOTHM. One track worth pointing out in that regard is "Razor Sharp"; this is a song that oddly draws a fine line between traditional and blackened heavy metal, at times even sandwiched between thrash and meloblack. If you can, try imagining a combination of Skeletonwitch and Iron Maiden.

This now brings me to the most interesting element featured on the whole album: the vocals. Oh yes, the vocals are different all right; Klauf doesn't just perform a standard classic heavy metal style here, but instead he delivers evil semi-harsh blackened shrieks, similar in fashion to the band I mentioned earlier, Skeletonwitch. This style may seem very peculiar at first, but not once you imagine the vocalist as someone who's transformed into a wraith and is now corrupted under Sauron's dark illusional spell. Another feature that sets this band apart from any ordinary NWOTHM act is the introduction of dungeon synth. Two examples are from the beginning of the title track, and also the short, striking interlude "A Welcoming Hearth", which seems to me like an ideal theme tune for a retro RPG computer game. Finally, "The Last In A Line Of Kings", with its dark medieval dungeon synth opening passage, is bizarrely styled in the vein of late-era Burzum

Morgul Blade are an interesting new prospect on the NWOTHM scene right now; they've proven to be quite a unique act, cramming many interesting elements into this short album. If classic, energetically fun heavy metal with sprinkles of fantasy dungeon synth and an effective harsher vocal style sounds like your thing, these Heavy Metal Wraiths under the influence of the evil Morgul Blade have you covered.