AGRUSS — Morok (review)

Album · 2012 · Death Metal

3.5/5 · 2012-05-01
adg211288

Morok is the debut album from Ukrainian metal act Agruss. Coming branded with a style of ‘Post-Atomic Black Metal’ Agruss is a band steeped in on-going effects the Chernobyl disaster of 1986. The album was even released on the anniversary of the disaster (April 26th). Considering this the tortured extreme metal sound presented on Morok is fitting, the album coming across as something of a reaction to Chernobyl. Musically however the tag is misleading, as Morok, though filled with plenty of black metal rawness, is actually more of a death metal inclined release, also drawing on some –core elements.

The sound of Morok combines the raw production values of black metal with the intense brutality of death metal. It’s an interesting fusion that also includes some more minor leanings into –core territory, which unfortunately may be seen as a negative aspect by the more purist metalhead out there, although the core elements don’t typically hinder the band’s sound to my ears, most likely because they’re few and far between enough to avoid being a backseat driver. All the elements are drawn together into an atmospheric approach. The vocals fit with all the styles as well although I can’t say I’m a major fan of any of the vocals used here. It’s all incomprehensible. That’s fine given the circumstances and focus of the release since it conjures up an atmosphere of extreme and deep torture, anger and frustration (semi-quoting their press release here which unlike the genre tag is pretty accurate) but it does make Morok sit in a very much niche market. It’s most definitely not an album for the faint of heart, being catered towards the most extreme of metalheads. If you’re reading this and are thinking ‘hey, that’s me!’ then Morok is an album worth checking out, but for anyone else, I don’t think it’s going to get more than a passing bit of recognition.

Which I think is fair enough. Although we’re talking a decent enough release, it doesn’t ultimately offer anything that special to the table. It’s neither an album that I can recognise as a true great of metal overall or within its genre. There isn’t much to differentiate between the tracks and being an album composed of mostly long tracks Morok does unfortunately begin to grate a bit on these ears, at least until the final three tracks which comprise the trilogy Under the Snow, which are the clear highlights of Morok but even then there are parts of the delivery, especially vocal wise, where it is just too much about throwing everything together in anger without stepping back to consider the outcome of the results. Granted given the back story surrounding Morok if there is one band with reason to be angry it’s Agruss, but they do show during some parts of the album that they can make their music less intense, resulting in a raw and bleak atmosphere that adds some much needed variation to the album. Listen to Under the Snow III to realise what I mean, the album could have done with a little more of this to give some of the tracks more depth. Truth be told this track has more than enough for the whole release, but it’s like once they got on to the idea they milked it for all its worth.

This said, when considering the premise of the album to recreate (as they put it) the post-atomic atmosphere of their land and the direction Morok takes musically, it would be wrong to deny that it’s a success story, so understand that the rating I’ve awarded Morok is based purely on the music’s qualities; if it’s a dark and bleak atmosphere you’re after then Morok is a highly recommended purchase. For those of us with other demands from death/black metal though then the album is a bit more hit and miss. But I know potential when I hear it and the Under the Snow trilogy is enough to push the album up a grade overall, so it’ll certainly be interesting to hear where the band takes things next.

6.8/10

(Originally written for Heavy Metal Haven (http://metaltube.freeforums.org))