Morgoth – Ungod (Century Media)
Thursday, 26th March 2015
After last year’s “God is Evil” single, Morgoth positioned themselves as the latest band to rise from their grave and return to the fold (it seems virtually no metal bands aren’t capable of resurrection nowadays). But with the whole ‘comeback’ thing feeling a bit passé at this point, it’s up to the songs themselves to shine through. Ungod delivers some ripping tracks, but it’s nothing that you haven’t heard before.
One interesting turn of events was the late departure of original vocalist Marc Grewe, who left the band just as recordings were about to take place. So the band brought in Disbelief growler Karsten “Jagger” Jäger at the last minute. Jagger fills the role adequately, leaving the rest of the band do get to business. The Death-isms of Morgoth are apparent (like on some previous releases) as you peruse the tracks of Ungod, with number of mid-tempo chuggers that soak themselves in some deathly melodies and snappy riffs. Songs like “Prison in Flesh” and “Snakestate” will make sure your neck is getting a proper workout, while the strong melodies of “Voice of Slumber” and “The Dark Sleep” will entice your mind. The album also boasts some pretty spectacular cover art from Seth Siro Anton to round things out.
So despite all of the glowing positives, the biggest issue that comes up with Ungod is the fact of necessity. With the number of growing Death imitators out there now, Morgoth’s approach is anything but innovative, despite it’s clear effectiveness. There’s simply too much material out there to really make Morgoth standout in the present, so this release will be relegated to the old-timers that recognize the band and want to hear new material. But on that end, consider Ungod a definite success.
