MORD ‘A’ STIGMATA, a polish five-piece avantgarde occult black metal constellation from the city of Bochnia have been around for a couple of years, and have generated a number of demos and have released a debut album in 2008. Now it is time for their their second full-length Antimatter to be presented to the hearing organs and minds of the preceptive masses through their new label Sun & Moon. Welcoming the listener with the intro Blood of the Universe – an uncomfortable distorted buzzing in combination with eerie, distant voices – MORD ‘A’ STIGMATA abruptly force Kinetic Dogma on you and you soon find yourself all curled up in a corner of your mind hypnotically delighted by the sudden soundscape. Stripped down, the song is built upon strong and faithful metal riffs that piece by piece have been subjected to regional changes and layers of ornaments as in warped guitars, shifting drumming, changing tempos, and a many-sided, hoarse and dominating voice that is well-suited for the dark music. Opening up heavy, De Magnum Opus Solis soon continues on in the wake of the former song but is a bit more playful with some interesting rhythmic sections. Without noticing it the song is over and you’ll find yourself in the twirling soundings in the title track Antimatter, which shifts between being a hammering inferno and subjecting you to more experimental environments. In addition, the mid-down tempo leading you out of the song is absolutely beautiful composed with a notable bass line appearing from the background. Slow, and slightly melancholic Metatron and the Waters begins in a weeping mode but changes itself into a energetic ectoplasm and shows off many versatile sides and voices. With full force forward, Serpent Salvation is at a first glimpse the shortest and simplest song of the album, yet if you really listen you will notice that in some places there more going on in the background of the frenzied guitars and drums affecting the overall atmosphere. In turn,…It Writes the Names of Ghosts distances itself from the rest of the songs by being dominated by clean vocals and by having a rather progressive edge to it, including a bluesy guitars, and long wailing regions, almost being the breathing hole of the whole album (although with heavy and stale air). As a contrast, Theophagia is initially a massive construct with pronounced bass lines, and the guitars may partly and in some regions remind you of foghorns calling out in the dark mist. This is the heaviest piece of Antimatter but as ever-changing as the songs of MORD ‘A’ STIGMATA is, it includes paths with less monolithic approaches and softer edges. On the final track with the graphical title Eternity is Pregnant you will hear Nihil (Furia, Massemord) performing guest vocals, adding samples as well as the ambient elements of ghoulish voices, which builds up a catatonic surrounding that the album is allowed to peters out with. Antimatter is a well-composed mix of conventional and unconventional ways of black metal, and is in many ways a step forward from the former album Überrealistic. With this MORD ‘A’ STIGMATA pushes on into new dimensions creating a unique, dark and obscure niche for themselves. In addition, if you manage to get yourself a physical copy of Antimatter – which you should – you will be pleased to find a 16-page booklet filled with well-thought-out artwork and dark, poetic excerpts that suits the impression that the music will give you.
-Septikemi
VITALS:
Release: 2011
Label: Sun & Moon
Avantgenre: Avantgarde Occult Black Metal
Duration: 52:41
Origin: Poland
Official site: http://www.myspace.com/mordastigmata
Review online since: 19.07.2011 / 19:11:38
TRACKLIST:
01 – Blood Of The Universe
02 – Kinetic Dogma
03 – De Magnum Opus Solis
04 – Antimatter
05 – Metatron And The Waters
06 – Serpent Salvation
07 – …it Writes The Names Of Ghosts
08 – Theophagia
09 – Eternity Is Pregnant
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