Label: AOP Records
Date: January 29th, 2021
Why in the world I chose to review this album will remain a mystery to me. Given my taste, this album should not be caught within the same galaxy as myself. Furthermore, I was convinced that every time someone picks a weird name for the band, and presents it as a post black metal, an infant dies somewhere in the snow-filled, cold forests of Norway.
It must be what people call personal growth. Expansion of the world-view. Call it what you will, but I took the new Harakiri For The Sky record and I am in love with it!
I’m ignorant of the fact that it lasts for almost an hour and a half. For me, that would usually be a first sign of boredom to come. I almost wish it would last for a couple of hours more! But that is what the “repeat” button is for.
Also, the fact that nothing on “Mӕre” comes easy to digest, or straight-forward, does nothing to divert me from spinning it for days now. And it should, as I am not a person who will easily accept musical experimentation like this.
Now, I am aware of critical acclaim Harakiri For The Sky achieved within the decade of their activity. However, their creation never crossed my path until now. For above mentioned reasons, of course. For that, I do apologize to the band directly.
This, their fifth full length record is an absolute mind-blowing piece of metal art. Fragmentally, it takes after traditional black metal. In some cases it goes for the epic version of black metal. It is not rare that the band goes further away from black metal, diving into other, even non-metal, genres. New types of hardcore, as most prominent ones. Alternative rock influences are noted as well. Also, some lead guitar parts even go for come classical heavy metal, like Running Wild or Iron Maiden, for instance. Some parts remind me of the latest Khors album, but that is expected as they are running along similar creative paths.
However, those are all just some speculative guidelines. “Mӕre” is nowhere near that easy to explain.
Of course, the record itself mostly shoots towards creating an atmospheric impact on the listener. Though none of the instruments involved are taken for granted and are all the time reaching spectacular levels of creative ingenuity, the feeling that surrounds the album is the key to understanding it.
That being said, in case you are wondering, Mӕre is actually a demon from the folklore tales that sits on people’s chest while they are sleeping and suffocates them. We have something similar in Serbian folklore, called Mora, which roughly translates to “nightmare”. Now, I cannot quite connect the entire album to this concept, and I have sincere doubts as to whether the album is even conceptual. Nevertheless, the emotional range transmitted is undeniable.
As the best invitation for you to explore “Mӕre” stands the opening for this review. I shouldn’t even like this album. But I still love it! Keep an open mind and try it. You have lost much more time of your life on much worse things. And Harakiri For The Sky might just be the thing you have waited for a long time.
Though we have yet to close this dreadful year, I already have a favorite for the best album of the next one.
