Opening with a bombastic intro with some electronic sounds, you wonder if this is going to turn out into a symphonic metal act, an electronic influenced band or perhaps a power metal act. Of course I know which band I am going to listen to, so I know some melodic death metal music will follow. The sixth album of this Finnish band is their most mature one. During their first albums their style was compared with Children Of Bodom, In Flames and Dark Tranquility many times and their riffing had some At the Gates references for sure.
After the intro the first song shows that they developed their style. The heavy melodic songs are accompanied by bombastic symphonic elements, great melody lines and atmospheric instrumental parts. There is a nice balance between these different elements. Listening to the start of ‘Into the Dark’, I have to think of Epica, then Children Of Bodom influences follow. Like on a lot of other songs the guitar solos are quite impressive, Andy Gillion is responsible for that. Guitarist Jori Haukio and Jarkko Kokko aren’t around anymore. The harsh and grunting vocals of Ville Viljanen sound brutal, but still very understandable. ‘Death Is the Beginning’ opens with a dramatic fragile singing part done by Kristen Marie, known from ‘The Voice’ in England. Parts in the song remind me of the band Insomnium. The slower pieces in several tracks have some Swallow the Sun influences and sometimes during orchestral pieces Dimmu Borgir enters my brain. As you can see there are many bands I mention and that is because the variety in styles on this album is big, besides death, thrash, power and black also electronic and groove influences can be added.
With Embers Of A Dying World Mors Principium Est shows that they still develop musically. By adding more orchestral pieces, better balanced songs, excellent solos and this all in great balance, the band still grows. Melo-death 2.0!
Tracklist:
01. Genesis
02. Reclaim the Sun
03. Maquerade
04. Into the Dark
05. The Drowning
06. Death Is the Beginning
07. The Ghost
08. In Torment
09. Agnus Dei
10. The Colours Of The Cosmos
11. Apprentice of Death
Playing time: 50:00
Release date: 10 February 2017
Label: AFM Records
Website: www.morsprincipiumest.com
Good review of an amazing and very addictive album.