Album number three from Australian black metallers Morghl, Heresiarch undeniably proves that this is the product of a band that what their 2007 debut The Sacrificial Flame and sophomore 2010's Antinomian marked them out as: a black metal band worthy of attention. From beginning to end, this is a ravaging delight.
Together, Mhorgl is tight and uncompromising, shifting through the gears effortlessly and incredibly effectively with rapid riffs, savage bursts of remarkable lead work, intense drums, and rabid black metal vocals. With the occasional and outstanding acoustic interlude scattered across the album, the dynamic shifts here are the work of a band that pay attention to every aspect of their abhorrent creation. Every shred of this record has been pored over with an artistic goal and intelligent aesthetic in mind. Technically precise throughout, Heresiarch is unremittingly brutal with time- and feel-changes being delivered at ludicrous tempos in some fine black metal. The four acoustic instrumentals 'The Seed of Rebellion', 'Hostis Humani Generis', 'Soliloquy', and 'The Hubris of the Departed' are all striking tracks, but maybe following each acoustic track with an onslaught wasn't such a good idea as it means the up/down dynamic of the album's structure becomes irksome. Still, it's nothing either the 'Random' button or a quick rearrangement of the track list on the player soon can't fix. But with tracks like 'Inheriting the Mantle of Power', 'Fallen', 'Impiety Storm' and 'Terror Manifesto', the aesthetic and atmospheric transformation colours the album darker and increasingly foreboding.
This is some serious black metal that has much to offer. Primitive, bleak and brutal, Heresiarch is laced with enough rage and coloured with many nuances to make it a diverse but not wholly different listen. Check 'em out on their webpage (link below) and have a listen for yourself.
Tracklist:
- Inheriting the Mantle of Power
- Ophidian Legacy
- Black Wolf Militia
- Ravenous Wargod
- The Seed of Rebellion
- Fallen
- Hostis Humani Generis
- Impiety Storm
- Soliloquy
- Terror Manifesto
- The Hubris Of The Departed
- Purity
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