REVIEW: Morta Skuld, Surface (Pavement)
- Paul Hanson
Armed with blast beats, throaty vocals and a guitar sound reminiscent of Slayer, Milwaukee's Morta Skuld come to the national spotlight with their new release Surface on Arizona-based Pavement Music records. After 8 years of thrashing around, it's about time the national scene hears this band! Joining labelmates Malevolent Creation, Forbidden, Crowbar, and one of my favorite new bands, HatePlow, Morta Skuld's disc is a sonic tour of the underbelly of Beer Town, USA.
And what an underbelly it must be! Opening track "The Killing Machine" starts the tour with the aforementioned blast beats. In the middle of the song, a melodic guitar introduces a new musical theme. Then, after riding that groove, the band returns to the original theme, all the while the double bass sixteenth notes are going for the subtle 'feeling, not hearing' groove.
The second track, "Save Yourself", confronts technology with these lyrics "We suffer in the system of technology / Freedom is the cage we all call home." Lyricist/guitarist/vocalist Dave Gregor doesn't really expand the genre of death metal growls; his vocals are often uncomprehendable, which is why including the lyrics works to the band's advantage. Gregor is an intelligent and thought-provoking lyricist. In "If I Survive," Gregor ponders "Man has destroyed all in his way/ He has no remorse, he will have his day/ Forgotten by many, lost to some/ In an age where brother betrays brother/ Animal instincts are alive/ It has taught us to survive/ Faceless to the some, a number to the many." Drummer Kent Trucenbrod shines through this track, mixing his ferocious double bass with a simpler drumbeat.
In the next decade, metal will need to grow and prosper if it is to survive and become the flavor of the month. Morta Skuld is one of several new bands that are trying to break into the national scene and leave their mark. Surface is an above average slab of death metal with intelligent lyrics and heavy guitars.
