Band:	Crimson Moon
Album:	Mors Vincit Omnia
Style:	Black metal
Release date:	August 2019

01. Vanitas
02. Altars Of Azrael
03. Godspeed Angel Of Death
04. Upon The Pale Horse
05. Parcae - Trinity Of Fates
06. Mors Vincit Omnia
07. Funeral Begotten
08. Tempus Fugit

This is the black metal equivalent of an amusement park haunted house and you'll either hate it or love it for that reason.

Now, considering their lack of popularity, even in some pretty elitist black metal circles, you may be wondering exactly what or who Crimson Moon is. Initially an American black metal outfit started in the early 90s, they soon moved their base of operations all the way to Germany, lying dormant for years and undergoing headache-inducing levels of lineup changes before finally settling on the current formation, capable of performing live since 2017 for the first time in a decade. They've been sparsely active over the duration of their existence as a band, quietly releasing more demos and compilations than new full-length material, but that should only serve to score them some cool points for fans of that true underground cult stuff.

Musically, Crimson Moon fits neatly within the mold of occult black metal, utilizing choir-like chants and forming a dark atmospheric foundation to augment the straightforward aggression, a style that all but beats you over the head on this album. It would be fair to label them symphonic purely based on the keyboard work, for those who think a symphony and an organ (keyboard) are the same thing, but this is far from Bal-Sagoth or Carach Angren territory. It's more so an added element into the mix, much like their brief melodies.

Mors Vincit Omnia may not be the new release that suddenly launches these guys into a world of fortune and fame, but it's about as respectable and worthy of intrigue as any Nightbringer release. Plus there's a dirge-like outro befitting a somber scene in The Addams Family for a couple minutes before straying the path into whispering over bells... so... that's something. It's far from new or groundbreaking material, but it's clearly thoughtful in its approach. The melodies and riffs are standard black metal fodder, about as innovative as any third-tier band trying to pay homage to or recreate the sounds of their favorite black metal guitarists from the '90s, and it tends to meander as the focus seems aimed at creating that sort of "unholy" atmosphere. The production suits that goal perfectly, giving the buzzing guitars a comforting warmth, but highlighting the too-spooky-for-me incantations over the music pushes it beyond serious and into silly territory after a while. That said, the keyboard sections are excellent, and the drumming is surprisingly playful, which helps break up and distract from the awkward sections. The problem is for every positive, a negative is quick to follow.

If the same energy featured on "Vanitas" remained for the rest of the album, then this may have been something to discuss. Unfortunately, it descends quickly into unintentional self-mockery, but there are plenty of strengths with which to build on for future releases. After 25 years, however, it doesn't seem likely there will be any grand epiphanies regarding song structuring, so I wouldn't get my hopes up. This works as a solid cheesy-but-true kind of black metal album though, so there's probably a market for it. Somewhere. Just not here with me.