Review by Dominik on November 23, 2025.

As much as I trust the well-trained ears of metal freak reviewer Felix and genuinely respect his judgement (I mean the man has heard enough black metal to make a Norwegian forest tremble), there is no universe in which I will let him be the sole voice reviewing anything Mavorim throws our way. One guy alone should not be burdened with that responsibility, because that's how cults start. So here I am, adding my humble 20 cents to discuss a band whose driving force, Baptist, seems devoted to the philosophy of: "Development? Evolution? How cute of you to assume I care!". And you know what? That's fair enough. It's probably not the perfect comparison, but Mavorim seems to be settling into black metal much like Bad Religion did in melodic punk/hardcore. The band is evolving just enough to stay fresh, yet at the same time staying so true to their sound that longtime listeners feel instantly at home.

The band is not unique, and no, the music isn't reinventing the wheel, but Baptist knows his craft and ticks the boxes that make an album consistently compelling. You get blastbeats, but not the full Swedish annihilation treatment. You get atmosphere, but without drowning in synth fog. The vocals are varied enough, occasionally resembling a better Eisregen variant, and the sound remains on the right side of polished but trve without veering into demo-from-the-basement territory. Sure, a bit of fluff pops up here and there, and I sometimes wish for more compactness (we'll get to that). But generally, Mavorim have found their calling: a recognizable style that doesn't stray too far from their formula, yet still avoids the feeling of recycled leftovers.

So, let's have a look at what works, which is plenty, and some little things that work as well, just not as good as the rest. I will skip intro and outro as life is too short, and mine grows shorter by the second. For those who need structure in their existence, this album can roughly be divided into two types of songs: the shorter, more compact and generally harsher ones, and the longer tracks that invest in building themes, often interwoven throughout the individual song. I appreciate this approach, because Baptist has a talent for crafting gripping melodies and riffs that resurface as songs progress, giving the album a sense of cohesion many bands wish they had.

"Ein Zerrbild Aller Leiden" ("A grotesque reflection of all suffering") is one of the few shorter songs that doesn't fully convince me. It's fast and aggressive, yes, but it lacks the elegance that Mavorim normally delivers without breaking a sweat. The clean vocals weigh it down, for the simple reason that they present themselves more like an "unexpected wedding speech" than "fitting artistic choice". It is quite different in "Das Joch Der Schande" ("The yoke of shame"), where recurring keyboard lines appear without ever overpowering the guitars, adding an epic quality that manages to avoid the fatal trap of sounding cheesy. Here the occasional clean singing works like a charm and the track marks the first real highlight. In classic Mavorim fashion, speed and melodic breathing spaces, often driven by merciless double bass runs, take turns like two siblings fighting for the front seat.

"Was Des Lebens Nicht Wert" ("Not worth the gift of life") is another short strike in the band's favor. Fast passages alternate with controlled mid-tempo, built around just a handful of memorable riffs, pushed forward by a vocalist who sounds genuinely fed up with humanity and the concept of existence. Relatable. "Zerinne Im Nichts" ("Dissolve into nothingness") opens a very strong middle section. It lures you in with a sorrowful melody before erupting into an urgent, imploring segment, only to circle back to the beginning. The faster parts feature a standout riff that balances urgency, hopelessness, and majestic grandeur in equal measure. "Die Andere Seite Deines Traumes" ("On the other side of your dream") follows a similar pattern. The timid guitar intro is wonderfully misleading before the track takes off, weaving that fragile opening melody into the main motif. Everything locks together seamlessly, and the constant push-and-pull between aggression and melodic reprieve is working impressively well. If anyone still doubts that black metal can convey more raw emotion than an entire discography of soft rock love songs, please report to this track for correction.

I could go through the full tracklist, but you don't need my rambling and thus I'll limit myself to one additional highlight and one… less radiant moment. "Erlischt Für Immer Nun Das Licht" ("Forever the light is extinguished") ranks among the most aggressive pieces here, once again combining powerful mid-tempo with controlled velocity. It highlights Baptist's strength as a songwriter and deserves also special praise for its lyrics, which are as thoughtfully crafted as the music. What is a welcome reminder that emotional impact in this genre is not measured by how many times you shriek "Satan!" into a microphone. On the opposite end, "Das Schluchzen Und Wimmern" ("The sobbing and whining") is the only song that drags its feet before anything noteworthy happens. It's not bad and certainly not a waste of space, but surrounded by much stronger tracks, its flaws inevitably stand out. It feels like a kid at the party who tells a story for 7 minutes when it needed 3.

All things considered, I can wholeheartedly recommend lending Mavorim your ear or two (preferably both — stereo helps). My rating doesn't quite reach Felix's final score, but I chalk that up to his youthful enthusiasm and exuberance. After all, I know for a fact he is a whole six days younger than me.

Rating: 8.5 ou of 10, because I'm saving the remaining 1.5 points for when Baptist finally agrees to evolve… or at least pretend to, just to freak everyone out.

Review by Felix on April 2, 2023.

Dear friends of infame art, perhaps you are aware that Purity Through Fire works as a platform for a kind of incestuous sect of Teutonic black metal musicians. Ad Mortem, Eisenkult, Meuchelmord, Atronos – everybody seems to make music with everybody. Even bands that do not belong to the roster of the German label are involved, for example Totenwache. All these formations have already left their mark with some great songs: 'Schwarzes Blut', 'Brutal Und Furchtlos Stumpf', 'Waffenweihe', 'Feuer Und Stahl', 'Der Schwarze Hort', to name just a few. However, in my humble opinion, it is Mavorim that dominates this conspiratorial community. Baptist, the man who runs this project almost alone, seems to save his best ideas for the albums which appear under this banner. With this said, my expectations are always very high when it comes to a new output from his side.

Ab Amitia Pulsae (struck by loss) is the fourth full-length and provides eleven tracks with an opulent playtime of more than 52 minutes. But it goes without saying that the technical details are less interesting than the musical and lyrical content. To start with the latter: nothing has changed. Baptist still plays with the German language skilfully, neither in a primitive nor in a wannabe high sophisticated (read: unnatural) way. The eloquent dude does not shy away from a few clear vocal parts. He already made good use of his normal voice on previous releases. Nevertheless, mostly he barks, nags and commands in a vile manner. Therefore his vocals complement the guitars nearly perfectly, because they add the grim black metal element to the melodies which are pretty harmonic from time to time. Not always; a comparatively short, strict shocker like 'Unter Den Mühlen Der Zeit' puts the focus on merciless pressure. But since the first release, Mavorim's art has different facets and their most exciting songs have always presented a glorious combination of malignancy and melody.

'Die Andere Seite Deines Traumes' continues this fascinating tradition. Don't trust the melancholic, mellow guitar at the beginning, a barbaric cry tears the harmony apart and a multi-layered piece runs its course. The high velocity parts are close to perfection, the guitars don’t forget to forge almost cynical melodies and the poisonous vocal performance outlines a personal tragedy. A great arrangement, a 100% song – and even better than 'Das Joch Der Schande', another overwhelming, quite straight song. I love the immaculate balance between the dominating guitars and the more or less thin yet highly atmospheric keyboards tones. Inter alia the part where Valfor's double bass fire meets Baptist's clear vocals is masterly arranged. Another highlight bears the name 'Was Des Lebens Nicht Wert'. It begins with a very simple guitar line, but Mavorim are able to give the song an apocalyptic aura and in particular the flattening guitars after the short calm intermezzo create a very dense and oppressive mood.

Musicians who think they are clever (mostly a world exclusive assumption) always tell us that their new album is their best one. Marketing for absolute beginners, lesson one. I don't think that Baptist wants to join the ranks of these notorious liars and honestly speaking, Ab Amitia Pulsae is not the best Mavorim output so far. Nevertheless, it is a top-notch release. But for the sake of completeness, I also want to mention its minor "flaws". Neither the outer-space-vibes spreading intro with an air raid siren at the end nor the nearly oriental outro are essential. 'Ein Zerrbild Der Leiden' with its chamber music ending is okay, but not that kind of opener which blows you away while setting the bar extremely high for the following tracks. 'Bis Nur Noch Knochen übrig Bleibt' adopts the aesthetics of Graveland at the beginning and houses almost ballad-like parts. Not every sequence comes into full bloom here, but there are also many parts that underline the extra class song-writing of Baptist.

The lyrically merciless 'Erlischt Für Immer Nun Das Licht' features vortex-like melodies and delivers the final assault. Don't think that its relatively soft instrumental part spends clemency. The song as a whole lies in close proximity to the absolute highlights of Ab Amitia Pulsae. The same goes for the more and more intensity gaining 'Zerrinne Im Nichts' or 'Das Schluchzen Und Wimmern' which finds its salvation in broad, nearly excessive keyboard lines that are accompanied by the force of the double bass. So what did I forget to describe? The production? Of course, it is fantastic and aligned with those of the previous full-lengths. This means we get an album with a smooth sound, an almost polished one. This seems to be part of the concept. The mix makes us believe in an ideal world, which of course is torn down in seconds by Baptist's voice and lyrics. And don't believe that a mix which lacks corners and edges is unable to develop pressure and strength – the exact opposite is true. Given all these facts, Mavorim do not only lead the Purity Through Fire black metal community. Moreover, they belong to the top five or even top three in the whole Teutonic scene, which is, forgive me this patriotic side note, an extremely strong one.

Rating: 8.8 out of 10