November has been packing some serious heat. Whether it be arena rock galore, NWOBHM worship done startlingly right, or melodic black metal magnificence, there’s no shortage of releases this month that have me not only hooked, but vigilantly rearranging my year end list. With only four days left in the month, we can add yet another release to this list. You see, as my inbox overflows with review inquiries from one Maiden/Priest clone after the other, I’ve all but given up on new traditional metal bands. Okay, maybe I’m being overdramatic, but I really don’t know what some leather and spandex clad, big haired revivalists could offer me that hasn’t already been perfected on Defenders of the Faith. And then an album like Morgul Blade’s Fell Sorcery Abounds comes along, which not only shatters any preconceived notions I have regarding traditional metal, but raises the bar to new creative highs.
Hailing from a fantastical realm beyond this dimension (Philadelphia), Morgul Blade’s brand of metal channels the gods of yore, yet without sounding like any one particular band. Furthermore, they employ so many facets of metal that it’s hard to pinpoint exactly what they are subgenre-wise. There’s no denying Fell Sorcery Abounds is a true metal record at its core, but with elements of black metal, power metal, epic metal, and doom metal scattered throughout, it’s a rather ambitious offering. We’ve seen other bands in the past attempt this “anything goes” approach, only to end up with a clusterfuck of colossal proportions. Morgul Blade isn’t “other bands”.
The album’s opening track, “He Who Sits Upon the Black Throne of Angmar / The Morgul Blade” sets the tone for the album, an amalgamation of thick, evil, doom laden traditional metal riffs and blackened vocals. “A Last Waltz of Gevaudan” continues the black metal mood, but combines it with old school US power metal. On this song, as well as “In the Grip of the Dark Lord” and “The Five Will Ride at Dawn”, Morgul Blade incorporates battle riffs and epic atmosphere reminiscent of cult legends Brocas Helm. The production, which isn’t raw by any stretch of the imagination, but not pristine either, further amplifies these obscure 80s leanings.
As the album progresses, we’re introduced to a wider array of Morgul Blade’s sonic palette. “Sons of the Night” is a brief, yet blistering, melodic black metal rager. “Oak in the Mist” is a gentle, atmospheric folk song with tribal rhythms, lush acoustic guitars, and hypnotic vocals, serving as a chilling intermission. “The Beacons Must Be Lit!” is pummeling power doom; the musical equivalent of Brocas Helm and Cirith Ungol brawling in a Frazetta warscape. Rounding it all out is the closing title opus, which combines all the aforementioned styles into one, devastating display of heavy metal majesty.
The metallic sorcery of Morgul Blade is a forced to be reckoned with. Did you need a reminder that US steel still reigns supreme? Well here it is. Fell Sorcery Abounds boasts a spirit of musical adventure and valiancy that, aside from a few exceptions, I assumed was all but dead. A silly mortal, I am. Brace yourself for the slice of the Morgul Blade. It sure cuts deep.
10 out of 10
Label: No Remorse Records
Genre: Black/Heavy Metal
For fans of: Brocas Helm, Cirith Ungol, Dawnbringer