Peccatum

The Moribund People
The End Records

3 tracks; 15:11

It's inspiring to witness such a successful metamorphosis as Ihsahn's since his masterminding of the late great Emperor. The Moribund People is the most recent release from this new project owned by himself, his wife (Ihriel) and a drummer. It further cements what an adventurous and explorative artist he is as it is so "out there" when compared to the work of his earlier incarnation. Indeed, it's pretty gutsy to attack a fusion of electronic, metal and contemporary music. And the supersonic soundscapes they have thus sculpted are remarkable.

The first notable characteristic of this EP is the organic sweetness of its ebb and flow. Contrasting elements between Ihriel's smooth vocal stylings and Ihsahn's gritty Black Metal growls give the album an almost schizophrenic feel. She tends to be accompanied by the symphonic synthesizers and delicate string sections while he tends to break in with his guitar, taking the lead on the heavier passages. The approach is particularly effective when the soft, atmospheric material weaves its web through the troughs and bridges toward the more Black Metallic flavored climaxes of the orchestrations. This technique is used successfully throughout the three songs (including the Bathory cover, "For All Those Who Died"), without diluting any single cut's unique identity. Further, these two faces of the band have been recorded and mixed accordingly, with the soft stuff feeling warm and clean and the hard stuff dirty and mean.

This stuff pushes the envelope. Intelligent and poignant, it's truly breaking new ground. I'm stoked with anticipation for whatever material is forthcoming from this group. As unpredictable as it might be, I trust it'll be outstanding.

Regan Perlett