Review by Vladimir on July 2, 2023.

“ALRIGHT NOW! Won't you listen?” I think this might come as a bit of a surprise since people know all too well that I am not really a follower or a huge fan of the stoner/doom metal subgenre, but yet here I am and now get yourselves ready to embark on a journey through the Cosmic Urn. The topic I’ll be covering is the newly formed stoner/doom metal band Mortuary Hearse from Serbia, founded by H.W.Dn. Paulus and H.nB.Pr. Alexandros. Although you may not be familiar with their pseudonyms, some people in the Serbian underground metal scene will recognize the two as Pakost and Maledictor from the black metal band Aura Mortis. I must say that I was surprised when I suddenly found out that the two formed a stoner/doom metal band and also recently released an EP a couple of days ago, which only excited and encouraged me to check it out because I know very well that these two really do a great job at making music of any subgenre. Their debut EP The Cosmic Urn was released on June 25th as a Bandcamp independent release, consisted of three tracks which were written in 2017 and recorded in 2020. Enough of the talks, let’s get down to business and get stoned to some good old fashioned stoner/doom metal. 

Songs on The Cosmic Urn are more or less your standard stoner/doom metal with catchy and groovy riffs which are followed by wah pedal guitar solos, distorted bass guitar, slow paced drumming and melodic singing vocals. Although the first track 'The Cosmic Urn' nicely introduces the general vibe of this album, the second track 'Master Fertilizer' is where it really shines the best, thanks to its heavy groove from the very get-go. This track had one funny moment where the music starts fading out somewhere around the first half, tricking you into believing that it’s about to end, but then suddenly the music starts fading back in, making you realize that the song trolled you real good. There isn’t much more I could add for the third and final track 'No One Left to See', other than to note that it keeps the general vibe of the previous songs flowing to the very end. This songwriting formula which was introduced in the early 70’s thanks to examples such Black Sabbath, has not only remained popular all throughout the decades, but has also successfully managed to maintain that simplicity and catchiness which has always been one of the biggest charms next to the style and guitar sound. With every next generation band, be it underground or mainstream, I really liked the fact that there was always a simple goal and passion in the mind of these artists, knowing all too well that it’s not necessary to reinvent the wheel as long as you know what you’re doing and you’re doing it right. My only smaller issue that I have is that this EP brings everything to a closure really fast due to only having three tracks, but nevertheless it doesn’t break away from the experience and I don’t think it will be a bother to anyone. The sound production is very crispy and fuzzy, just as you would expect a stoner/doom metal album to be, although the vocals in my opinion take the high spot for the very clear sound on each track. 

This EP may be short, but it’s a very good introduction to the newly formed band which already did great from the start. If you manage to ignore the fact that it’s only 20 minutes long, you will definitely find yourself enjoying and grooving in all three tracks which did a great job at capturing the essence of the genre. Hopefully, Mortuary Hearse won’t be just a one-time project which just made one release and then called it quits, because I think that they should definitely keep it going to a full-length release and take on the world of stoners and doomers around the world. 

Rating: 8.2 out of 10

Review by Fernando on December 21, 2021.

Reviewing demos is always a gamble in almost any genre of music and especially in metal, since for all the bands with great potential, you also come across amateurs who’re in desperate need of a good producer, or the run of the mill worship band. But to be fair, some bands do have some hoops to overcome before they release a proper album, and a demo may be the only chance they get to unleash their music to the world, and today we have a particular black metal act out of Austria by the name of Gha’agsheblah.

Gha’agsheblah are for all intents and purposes and brand new band, formed in 2019 and this demo, titled Demo(N) (get it), is an interesting beast. I’m not gonna talk about the production since that’s a low hanging fruit aspect for a demo, but, one thing I will say is that the extremely raw and lofi production actually gives off a sinister and disturbing vibe to the music itself, which is something hard to achieve since most demos nowadays sound too digital or are downright unlistenable. Gha’agsheblah made good use of this limitation to their benefit. In regards to the music itself, Gha’agsheblah play black metal but there’s something off about it, in a good way. Their style seems to take cues from first wave black metal in the vein of Mortuary Drape and early Bathory. There’s a focus on riffs and vocals that sound evil and wretched, which is bolstered by an intentionally disturbing atmosphere, and what’s weird is how the band accomplished this with no actual embellishments. The atmosphere is the major standout, and it all comes together weirdly but very effectively, which makes me wonder how this band would sound with professional production, since this type of ugly and harsh sound could’ve only be achieved through intentionally crude conditions and equipment.

Overall, Gha’agsheblah really surprised me with their unhinged and necrotic music, but at the same time, due to this release being a demo there’s just so much that can be said. The band are supposedly making their debut record and if anything, this demo succeeded in making me interested in what this band can be furthered down the line. A neat little demo, and a cornerstone for this band.

Rating: 7 out of 10