Inspired by the dark arts and combining early influences from bands such as Mercyful Fate and Celtic Frost, Italian Cult Black/Death Metal band Mortuary Drape were formed back in 1986 as a trio by drummer/vocalist Wildness Perversion. Currently a five-piece, they’ve spent the ensuing decades defining their pioneering style as a Black/Death Occult Metal outfit.
Mortuary Drape, Wisdom – Vibration – Repent (Peaceville)
Release Date: 11 February 2022
Words: Jools Green
Mortuary Drape, who signed with Peaceville in December 2021, return with their latest edition to their extensive discography, their new studio EP Wisdom – Vibration – Repent, an impressive successor to 2014s full-length Spiritual Independence.
Wisdom – Vibration – Repent is five tracks spanning twenty-three minutes of their unique meld of old school Black and classic Metal with their hugely engaging melodic style, bathed in the mysteries of the occult with the carefully pared back production for a classic ’90s feel.
Hugely impactful from the opening track, In A Candle Flame is a sinister and melodic, yet dark and doomy offering, cleverly understated and restrained, even the lead work. Still, the result gives maximum impact, particularly thanks to expressively raw deathly vocals delivered with ominous intent, both here and throughout the album. Mortuary Drape successfully get their claws into you with the very first track.
All In One Night is equally as ominous and engaging as its predecessor but a little more up-tempo, topped off with a searing chunk of second-half leadwork.
Next up is a Mercyful Fate cover, Nightmare Be Thy Name, and at this point, I am going to get controversial and unleash a whole world of hate upon myself from Mercyful Fate fans by saying I like this better than the original. It’s a superb interpretation of a great song, and my reason for preferring it is purely because it’s delivered in a lower key and with deeper vocals, therefore kinder on my ageing ears.
Circle Zero is suspenseful to open, but the pace quickly ramps up to a dark, ominous D-beat, ebbing back to the slow and suspenseful again before rebuilding to that D-beat, punctuated with bursts of leadwork across the second half and a sinister spoken element to the close.
Closing track Where Everything Falls is another dark, suspenseful builder, quickly becoming a frantically delivered offering with superb midpoint leadwork and excellent drumming undercurrent, which pulls the track along with rapidity and adds extra texture to the sound.
Absolutely no favourite tracks here, an end-to-end excellent listen.
The cover art for Wisdom – Vibration – Repent is by Misanthropic Art.
Wisdom – Vibration – Repent also be released as a limited-edition purple vinyl 12″ on 11 March 2022. For more details visit mortuary13drape.com
