‘A Godlike Inferno’ landed back in 2011 following a collaboration album between Ancient VVisdom and none other than Charles Manson. It put them on the map for me and I enjoyed it although cannot remember exactly what was said about it at the time. The group led by ex Integrity members Nathan Opposition along with his brother Michael Jochum took us into dark neo-folk etched times along with a soupcon of death rock and apocalyptic pop. Three albums have been released and covered here since with varying results from pretty good to absolutely awful. There’s no denying that the band are pretty prolific and no doubt the muse that is the wrongs of the world have led to no end of material from them but the question is how will this new album fare in the grand scheme of things?
Well, first opinion was that it was short with 8 tracks coming in at just over a half hour’s playing time and the second was that it is pretty damn straightforward and easy to get an opinion on. To be honest I could have probably sat down and written my thoughts after just a second airing but that would be slacking off as far as I’m concerned and due to the shortness it was easy enough to give some extra spins to Mundus before formulating a full diagnosis.
A song-title such as ‘Human Extinction’ speaks largely for itself but what I was not expecting, certainly for a song expressing such gravity in its title was a slab of bog-standard stoner rock. It’s alright I guess, has a bluesy touch to its main straight-ahead chug but nothing we haven’t heard a million times before. If you fancy boogieing on down to the end of the world this flare-shuffler with its Sabbathian groove will do the job nicely but it was the darker toned and dour folk sensibilities that I was really looking for here. Thankfully the opener stands on its own and these are found with songs such as ‘Plague The Night’ and ‘Will To Destroy.’ Much more in a singer-songwriter style this doom-laden slices of morose Americana are much more fitting stylistically to both what I was expecting and looking for. Great subtle melodies from the acoustic guitarwork draw you in to their campfire tales and with the latter track having a vibe akin to King Dude as much as anything less contemporary these certainly hit the spot. Sandwiched between them though is ‘I Am Everywhere’ a trip back to primal and brash guitar rock, a real banger of a song that at just over 2 minutes bridges decades and is full of heart and soul. It’s instantly immediate and compulsive listening, begged to be played over and over and making me wish it was the 80’s when I was starting to buy vinyl and doing just that; b side be damned!
Speaking of which its quick to flip the vinyl metaphorically here for the second half and the fuzzy electric guitar tones of ‘For the Glory of the Grave.’ Fairly upbeat considering the title and at over 7 mins by far the longest track on the album, this is pretty endearing and gradually seeps in extended by a harmonic croon along at the end which some may find surplus to requirements. There’s something possibly the guitar tone, maybe the dreary emphasis on the vocals that reminds of Brit Indie music on ‘Desensitized.’ Suddenly the glum vibe makes me realise that what I am getting at is a fair bit akin to The Jesus And Mary Chain albeit without the chaos. Naught wrong with that in my book and the paradoxical “do you feel alive today” lyrics bring about a wry smile. The depressive nature takes towards the all too quick end with the near alt-country strum of ‘Severed Ways’ and the gorgeous folk tinged closer ‘Edge Of The Abyss’ which is a heart-wrenching poetic funeral shroud on the album.
Apparently the band poured their heart and soul into the album and this is something I can almost see and hear. But there are criticisms too. The opener just doesn’t fit in whatever way you look at it and due to the length (yeah don’t quote Slayer at me) I feel it could do with a couple more tracks to really hit the mark; which is why I am going to be a bit stingy with the one I’m giving it.
(7/10 Pete Woods)
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