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Massemord - 12 Years Of Mass Murders review



Reviewer:
7.2

1 user:
9
Band: Massemord
Album: 12 Years Of Mass Murders
Release date: 2005


01. Myers Revenge
02. The Majesty Of The North
03. Last Day Of Snow
04. Hell
05. Burning Souls
06. Den Svarte Skogen
07. Skogenkaller Og Vi..
08. Take Me Back To Hell
09. Blood Of The Wolf
10. Eternal War [live]
11. Welcome To Hell
12. King Of The Universe
13. Outro

The Norwegian BM band Massemord have decided to celebrate their first twelve years of existence by releasing this album called "12 Years Of Mass Murders". Probably pop rock with such a title? Anyway, this is not really a compilation since only the live song Eternal War can be found on another album (on Skogen Kaller, their first). This is not a real new album either: the 12 songs plus an outro of this album are re-recorded versions of unreleased tracks written between 1993 and 2005.

Oddly enough, even if this album has been composed over 12 years, I can't really hear an evolution, a progression between old and newer songs. The strange thing is that even when they've been written at the same period, even sometimes during the same month, those songs can sound nothing alike at all. There is some good variation on this cd, most tracks alternate between the rawest, kriegest, truest Norwegian black metal in the vein of Darkthrone ("Last Day Of Snow") and some more melodic music in the style popularized by Immortal ("The Majesty Of The North", "Take Me Back To Hell"). Those songs will undoubtedly satisfy any BM fan out here. That is indeed some good quality black metal, varied enough not to be boring and above all with excellent, catchy and memorable riffs scattered all along. Even the instrumental "Skogen Kaller Og Vi Svarer II" has haunting melodies.

I who was expecting some random true black have been very surprised when I first listened to this album. Because here is the very odd thing: Massemord is a true Norwegian black metal band, isn't it? LH Warmachine, the frontman and mastermind of the band, isn't afraid to declare that Massemord, is true, raw and grim and are the proud successors of Darkthrone. So imagine my surprise when I heard those three songs, "Myer's Revenge", "Welcome To Hell" and "King Of The Universe". The opener "Myer's Revenge" actually is a groovy death metal song (no kidding) with a GREAT riff between Pantera and Morbid Angel. This is an awesome song. The last two songs are? weird. Massemord used electro/pop sounding keys along with experimental black riffs. The result is industrial, dehumanized, bizarre, altogether interesting.

Actually these three songs are enough to enhance my interest in this release which would otherwise have been thought interesting, nothing more, nothing less, despite the excellence of a lot of riffs (just listen to "The Majesty Of The North" if you want a good example). The BM tracks are kind of repetitive on the long term. But these three unexpected and thoroughly different songs make this album good. I might wait for their other releases now. Oh, and black metal fans, be sure to grab this one. You'll certainly like it.

Highlights: Myer's Revenge, The Majesty Of The North, Take Me Back To Hell.

Written by Deadsoulman | 21.12.2005





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