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 Vladimir on February 15, 2023.

Some people may have heard about a Belgian label called Medieval Prophecy Records, thanks to its former roster of well-known bands such as Evilfeast and Enthroned. Along comes a new release from an unknown Belgian black metal band Regnum Tenebrarum, part of the so called “Ancient Hounds Circle” along with Crypts Of Wallachia, Selenite Scrolls, Orkblut and Phlegethon's Majesty. Even though the band members are anonymous, the four aforementioned bands are consisted of some members of Regnum Tenebrarum’s current lineup, with four of them as members in Orkblut, three of them as members of Selenite Scrolls and two of them as members of Phlegethon's Majesty. It seems like a very small inner circle but nevertheless a devoted one. The topic of today’s review will be their seven track EP Légendes Noires, released on February 3rd 2023 via their label Medieval Prophecy Records on CD and 12” vinyl.

The EP starts with an atmospheric keyboard intro which sets up the cold and somewhat medieval mood which will be carried throughout the rest of the tracks. All tracks have a somewhat Mgła-like tremolo riffing and drumming similar to that of "Exercise In Futility", which often switches from fast to a slower mid-tempo rhythm. Apart from the intro, there are also two instrumental tracks, 'Interlude' with acoustic guitars and keyboards, and 'Dies Irae' with the famous opening words from the Latin poem and ambient sounds of rainfall and wolf howls. Although I have said that the EP has a Mgła feel to it, the part where I feel the need to draw the line between the two is the musical atmosphere, which in case of Regnum Tenebrarum is more medieval rather than nihilistic, with added keyboards and a rawer guitar sound. The sound production is quite solid, the guitars have a nice cold distortion which is on point with the riffs, although on some songs the drumming seems at times a bit off and sound as if it’s slowing down and out of tempo, and the echoing harsh vocals are pushed far back in the mix and aren’t as loud as they should be.

The overall EP gives a good glimpse of this band’s work which I believe will be carried on with their upcoming releases and I think that Regnum Tenebrarum would certainly be ideal for fans of modern black metal. Although this may be just the beginning, it is an ambitious start which shows a great deal of promise and I don’t see the reason why it shouldn’t go further. For those who are interested in giving this EP a listen, it is available on the Rites of Pestilence YouTube channel and you can purchase it on CD and 12” vinyl via Medieval Prophecy Record’s Big Cartel page. We don’t know if this album will be available on streaming platforms as well in the near future, but I think nothing would hurt to support an underground band the old-fashioned way.

Rating: 7.6 out of 10