In the interview with MORNE from November 2017 on SANCTUS PROPAGANDA (here), Milosz (guitar and vocals) said that “less is more when it comes to riffs”. Now, I have been listening to the fourth studio album by MORNE for the past 4 days and I cannot stop it. Why? The album is not a discovery of anything new. Yet, it redifines the way you can make doom metal (for the lack of a better term). The album is not a hit compilation. Yet, each song hits you right in your face and ears with a lot of force. The answer is: less is more!
For those of you who need a bit of introduction, MORNE was formed in 2005 in Boston, Massachusetts and “To The Night Unknown” is their fourth album. They toured the US, Canada and Europe, where they have been part of large festivals such as Roadburn, Hellfest and Psycho Las Vegas. It is not easy to coin their music with a one, simple term. Doom metal comes to mind but it does not do this band justice. Especially when you hear “To The Night Unknown” and especially when you listen to “Not Our Flame”, a 12-minute suite that has so much musical content that would be enough for one band to write two records. The simplicity this song offers with its riffs will make you want to hear it again and again. Start the record with this track, no kidding here, and you will hear one of THE BEST metal suites that came out in this so-called post metal bullshit era. It has slow crusty guitar riffs, the hopelessness driven vocals, very heavy double bass drum, GODFLESH guitars and rock (in the best meaning of this word) solos that provide beautiful landscapes. 12 minutes may sound like being very bored trying to go through half of it, but bear with them, when minute 5:43 comes everything changes. Follow that until minute 9:06 when this atmospheric guitar turns on and takes its romance, tears, sadness, crying and melancholy until the very end of this jewel. This is literally, one of the best solos (again, for the lack of better word) that were introduced in this kind of noise.
“To The Night Unknown” lasts 67 minutes, it is not a shortie, there are 8 well composed tracks, where trans gives way to double bass drum cannonade and romantic and atmospheric guitars blow your head off. Lyrically, it is all in shadows, darkness and dawn but MORNE sees hope. And I see hope here because this record has just (well, WILL, the record is not our yet) redefined the way you think about writing doom metal suites.
This masterpiece is out on Armageddon Label and the bands’ own label Morne Records September 7th 2018. Listen to the title track below and pre-order your copy now here: https://armageddonlabel.bigcartel.com as it is not going to last long.
Yes, less is more!