Morta Skuld is a band that has been around for a long time and has paid its dues over many years. Their debut album, Dying Remains, celebrated its Thirtieth Anniversary last year. Only recently, however, has Morta Skuld begun to receive their due recognition as an important act, not only in the heyday of early Death Metal, but also today. Dying Remains is now rightly considered a great album that any true fan of the genre should be familiar with. The band was unable to tour extensively in the early years and after struggling through the mid-90s, hung it up for the better part of two decades. After returning with the Serving Two Masters EP in 2014, Morta Skuld has now cranked out three albums in the last ten years.
Morta Skuld’s return has been marked by a vigorous energy and that energy is apparent on the new record Creation Undone. Those who are only familiar with Dying Remains may be in for a surprise. The debut album sounds very much like the cover looks. It is an album in the old rotting sewer style of early Obituary with eerie leads and loads of atmosphere. Creation Undone is an album that generally moves at a faster pace, driven by the pummeling blasts of former Jungle Rot drummer Eric House. House turns in a dominating performance on what may be Morta Skuld’s fastest album.
Despite the speed and energy of the record, it remains entrenched in the Old School Death Metal sound. The best example of this, as well as the finest song on the album, is the sixth track Soul Piercing Sorrow which weaves deftly through tempo changes, pausing to ride a monstrous, grooving riff that forms the backbone of the song. The track’s catchy riffs are complimented by an eerie solo that evokes Morta Skuld’s origins. One change from the earlier era that is particularly evident is the tone of Dave Gregor’s vocals which have shifted over the years into a higher, throatier bark. I would love to see a return to a more guttural sound which I think would complement the brutality of the music.
One further area that deserves to be highlighted is the lyrics. Morta Skuld has, for most of the band’s career, broken convention by writing introspective, personal, or socially inspired lyrics. The death and gore topics of the debut were quickly replaced by personal thoughts of mastermind Dave Gregor. Witnessing the tremendous power wielded by governments, along with the experience of a global pandemic clearly influenced Gregor to consider the fate of our broken world. The title, Creation Undone, is a clear reference to the harm that human beings and their institutions have wrought upon God’s creation.
Despite the energetic music and thoughtful lyrics, Creation Undone has attracted more attention due to the ongoing controversy regarding the use of A.I. art for Metal albums. While many have jumped to conclusions about this album’s art, the story is far more complex than what has typically been asserted and readers are encouraged to read Dave’s own words in our interview here on lotsofmuzik.com before judging.
Creation Undone is a solid extension of the Morta Skuld discography and it will be pleasing to anyone who enjoyed their previous album Suffer For Nothing. The album is recommended for all Death Metalheads and can serve as an entry point to the discography, along with Dying Remains, to get a sense of and appreciation for a classic American Death Metal band.
Josh’s rating: 8.5/10
CREATION UNDONE’ – ORDER YOUR COPY FROM https://mortaskuld.lnk.to/Creation_Undone
Tracklist:
We Rise We Fall [04:56]
The End Of Reason [03:57]
Painful Conflict [04:22]
Unforeseen Obstacles [04:25]
Perfect Prey [03:25]
Soul Piercing Sorrow [04:59]
Into Temptation [04:09]
Self Destructive Emotions [04:49]
Oblivion [04:55]
By Design [04:42]
Line up:
David Gregor – Guitar/vocals
Scott Willecke – Guitar
John Hill – Bass
Eric House – Drums
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https://www.facebook.com/MortaSkuld/
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