NATURA MORTA „Schwarze Mauer”

Self-released, 2020

Music: Psychedelic Avant-garde Metal
Website:
https://naturamorta1.bandcamp.com/album/schwarze-mauer
https://soundcloud.com/user-815559383
Duration: 48:23 minutes (8 tracks)
Country: United Kingdom

The one-man project NATURA MORTA released their third album “Schwarze Mauer” at the end of April last year. Currently only available online on Bandcamp (like others albums od NATURA MORTA). The album is the end of the trilogy and of some stage in the history of the project. I admit that this trilogy was very diverse, and at the same time coherent, due to some instrumental and vocal elements. And from the first album “Anarchy 666” (2019) through “Vile Masters of Mankind” (2019) and ending with the current “Schwarze Mauer” there is a clear progress from the more classic black-death-metal sounds sprinkled with industrial through clear psychedelic breaths, and ending with very controversial topics, almost avant-garde-metal.

The current album is first of all very surprising, very gloomy and much less extreme (in terms of black-death-metal). The music is quite different from previous releases, but still very dark, gloomy, terrifying and psychedelic in places, but also more insane and inspired by strange states of mind…

You can hear many unconventional riffs (clean chords, various licks, melodies as well as heavy, distorted guitar strokes of low-tuned guitars, sometimes also very progressive, jazzy, technical), dense and variable percussion arrangements or keyboard emanations (both classic – hard rock, and from the borderline of dark ambient, new wave or industrial).

Vocally, it is very avant-garde. Growlings and black screams, which rather faded into the background (though still terrifying), gave way to gloomy polyphonic singing, even psychedelic wails, sinister melodeclamations and bizarre vocalizations. The vocal apogee is reached during the polyphonic vocal parts, which are densely woven here, combining two or even more colors simultaneously or alternately, as if simulating dialogues.

The album was created in the months when the COVID-19 pandemic in the world began to take its toll, so probably this state could affect the climate of the whole to composing… It’s like a real vision of that world combined with a personal view of the past, passing… So often the mood is full of sadness and terror. But this psychotic melancholy is intertwined with anger and aggression… maybe helplessness, maybe reflection.

On “Schwarze Mauer” you can sometimes hear VOIVOD influences, in some themes some minimal similarities to the French MISANTHROPE, or some industrial-black-metal manifestations, but most of all it is NATURA MORTA with its original proposals.

The music is so surprising and richly arranged that even after the next and the next and the next one listening you will discover new themes, new sounds, new surprises… And that is why this review will be incomplete, because I will probably skip something. The whole thing brings with it a lot of emotions and proves the great artistic sensitivity of its creator (with huge talent). Some themes give you emotional thrills, like the ballad part “Scars” … Most of the pessimistic attitude is felt, but at the end of the album shines a light of hope in places, something positive appears. However, these are only short moments drowned out by a gloomy and dark mood…

It is quite difficult music to listen to. I would say – intelligent music… For people who are not limited to classical genres of Metal, but who are open to experiments… For those who are looking for something new in Metal music, some unconventional combinations… Unfortunately it limits the group of potential recipients and media interest.

The album has almost 50 minutes, but ends too quickly.

Tracklist:
1. The Truth
2. Schwarze Mauer/Sick Black Future
3. In Darkness, In Silence
4. Scars
5. We All Die
6. The Saviour
7. Your Garden
8. Life
9. One Last Question
10. Come You Fool

Line-up:
Igor Blaszko – music & vocals

Rate: 10/10