MORTGRIM - Evangelium Luciferianum

We kick things off with 'Majesty of the Morning Star', where raw, down-tuned distorted guitars meet equally unpolished drumming. The composition almost waltzes its way forward until the bass crashes in, unleashing a rather chaotic wall of sound. Yet listening more closely to the sinister, throaty and occasionally whispered black metal vocals, it becomes apparent that conventional structure might not be what MORTGRIM is aiming for here. The screams sound tormented, at times bordering on madness, reinforcing the deeply unsettling character of the music. Brief bursts of blast beats, accompanied by a noticeable sense of reverb, further intensify the restless instrumentation. Admittedly, the vocal delivery takes some getting used to, but as the track progresses, its unusual approach begins to make sense within the composition's deliberately disordered character.

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Next up is 'Helel', where dark, heavy instrumentation immediately takes centre stage. Compared to its predecessor, the composition takes a more melodic approach, with several musical elements intertwining to give the song greater depth. Around the halfway mark, a grim spoken-word passage, accompanied by suitably ominous instrumentation, seems to prepare us for something far more sinister. And it certainly delivers. Venomous, almost spat-out screams suddenly erupt, accompanied by a faster pace and a particularly effective guitar riff that injects a welcome burst of aggression. Despite these harsher moments, the vocal delivery retains an almost narrative character throughout, giving the impression of a disturbing story unfolding rather than simply another display of black metal ferocity.'Dead Tide' opens with moody ambient sounds, from the dull tolling of a church bell to faint breathing and eerie noises lurking in the background. Deeply unsettling, this interlude feels essential to the album's darker narrative. Slowly, tension builds as distant howling and distorted guitar lines emerge, creating the impression that something sinister is drawing closer. And just as fear begins to boil beneath the surface, everything falls silent. Sometimes, what you don't hear can be just as disturbing as what you do.

'Inverted Cross' carries the cold, icy energy of late-'90s old-school black metal, with venomous, throaty vocals practically spitting disgust with every word. A raw, filthy guitar riff takes the lead, supported by slow, almost trance-like drumming and a thick, dense bass presence. As the song progresses, the pace intensifies, yet don't expect this shift to introduce anything remotely more approachable. The music remains deliberately hostile, its primitive aggression and relentless bitterness leaving little room for comfort. This is hate made listenable, and MORTGRIM make no attempt to soften its edges. 'Rotting Souls' leads us into the album's final stretch, wasting no time on introductions. Blistering blast beats and furiously played guitars immediately unleash their aggression, while Máté Nagy's hissing vocals tower above the instrumentation like a mad king surveying his decaying kingdom. Clocking in at just around two and a half minutes, the track leaves little room for subtlety, but that is precisely its strength. Cold, merciless and deeply misanthropic, it captures black metal in its most primitive and uncompromising form.

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We reach the album's conclusion with 'Lament of Goetia', returning to the more ambient and atmospheric elements that give the record depth and moments to breathe. This time, the sound of falling rain sets the scene, accompanied by heavy, mournful piano notes that evoke the solemnity of a funeral procession. As the rainfall intensifies, cold instrumentation eventually breaks through the otherwise strangely calming surroundings, yet it never quite regains its former strength. Instead, the music seems to surrender to the melancholy, as though the stillness has slowly consumed its hostility. An intriguing conclusion, where, for once, the calm appears to have suffocated the cold.

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With "Evangelium Luciferianum", MORTGRIM delivers a raw and deeply unsettling journey through old-school black metal, occult themes and moments of eerie tranquillity. Filthy guitar riffs, merciless blast beats and Máté Nagy's unconventional vocal delivery create an almost hostile listening experience, while the carefully placed ambient passages offer moments of reflection without diminishing the album's sinister character. Admittedly, the chaotic structures and peculiar vocals require some patience, but they also contribute to the record's distinctive personality. What makes this album particularly intriguing is the contrast between primitive aggression and haunting melancholy. Evangelium Luciferianum is not interested in comfort or compromise. It embraces the darkness, even when that darkness becomes difficult to endure.

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SCORE 8.5/10

REVIEWED BY SWAMPY