Although the name may seem a bit strange or personal for a death metal album, it spells out precisely what this band is. In fact it’s more representative than their previous moniker of Flesh, under which it operated from 2004-09, as that band was also the brainchild of Pete himself. Just as that act’s three releases employed session musicians, so too does ‘Mortui Vivos Docent’, with The Black’s bassist filling in behind the kit, a guest keyboardist and even some female vocals. A veteran of the Swedish death metal landscape, having served in obscure bands such as Embryo, Harmony and latterly the more established Maze Of Torment, one would expect Pete to have created an infernal slab of shredding death here. That, praise, hail is just what he has done.
A scream and obscure guitar runs kick the album into life, creating a pretty dark and haunting atmosphere. The opening song is based around an excellent, purposeful structure which resembles the classics from Dissection or Necrophobic, as fast and melodic tangents tear the listener inexorably away with them. From first impressions, Pete Flesh’s Deathtrip is a classy one, and things get better still as a touch of Norse Bathory blows through the slow burning epic ‘The Eternal Dawn’. As set forth in the press release, the concept of the band is to appeal to fans of blackened Swedish death, which is no doubt what they will do. If you listen, for instance, to the shift in pace around the 3:30 mark of this track and feel unmoved by what follows, there really is no point in being here. It bleeds tradition, with an absolute emphasis on atmosphere trumping all else. From the dense sound created by those layered guitars to the drumming, which flows with the nuances of each riff and time change, it has all been designed for impact rather than mere imitation.
Most impressive of all is the mix of genres, particularly as black metal outweighs death in many places. ‘The Suicide End’ begins with a peculiar chiming intro before a rancid black riff spreads foreboding all over it, while ‘Burning Darkness’ contains a ‘torture session in the pits of hell’ section, in which pathos laden melodies weave in and out to reflect the misery of the track’s doomed narrator. Along with some positively deranged vocals and excellent guitar contortions in that last one, there is also an ungodly heavy riff to listen out for at the 2:22 mark which punctuates the latter half of the tune. Elsewhere, ‘Bleed’ goes heavy on the bass to create a dark, mesmerising vibe in which those female vocals finally emerge. Although it’s hard to have any precise expectation of what ‘female vocals’ are going to sound like before listening, it came as a surprise as these ghostly echoes materialised. The interplay of them with Pete’s morbid strains come across like some warped love song, which in places reminds me of some of Marduk’s more twisted visions.
Genres aside, the key aspect to ‘Mortui Vivos Docent’ is its pure metal class. My initial scribble to the final track, ‘Recycle My Death’, sums up the album as a whole with this assessment: ‘fucking riffs’. There are so many instances of sublime guitar work – ranging from melodic to tormented to intimidating – that it’s impossible not to get enveloped by the album’s darkened wings. While compositionally it may not be up there with the classics, the debut from Pete Flesh’s Deathtrip sure as hell provides an irresistible dose of blackened Swedish death. Hopefully there’s more to come in the future.
(8/10 Jamie)
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