Codex Mortis is a black metal band from the Netherlands who formed in 2017. “Tales of Woe,” is their second full-length album.
“Tales of Woe,” is a short but very engaging album, burning through six tracks in around 27 minutes. It’s always quality, not quantity, and the band delivers a lot of quality here. This album is all about balance. It has a lot of atmosphere, but not so much to the point where the instruments become background music. It’s melodic but never loses its fast paced, blistering edge.
The song structures a riff based, backed by the powerful rhythm section Mathieu Westerveld’s bass and Michiel van der Plicht’s drumming. The bass is much heavier than what I usually hear in black metal. I love this because it lends the albums a very thick, full presentation. Because the production is impeccable, and arguably too good for this style, that heavier low end helps keep the album grim enough for the die-hards to not scoff too much over how good it all sounds.
Dirk Willems’ vocals are impressive and I appreciate that he adds in low growls alongside his ferocious blackened screams, something I wish more black metal bands did. The album only has six songs so I’m going to say a little about each one.
Arjan van Dune and Bram Hilhorst open the album with high speed riffage of “Forsaken,” barreling alongside the drums. The lead guitar accents the atmosphere as the death growls plow over it, creating a chaotic tapestry of extreme metal. The song breathes a little here and there, slowing down to let the riffs soak into the fabric.
A classic black metal tone intertwined with a deathly groove kicks off “Capricious Disembodied Villain,” to a brutal start and the low growls add to the menacing tone. This is one of the most intense songs, due in no small part to Willems screaming his ass off. The last forty seconds add in a stark dose of melody that smashes into an fiery ending.
“Chosen,” opens with clean piano, adding a touch of the theatrical to their blackened proceedings. The guitar carries on the emotive atmosphere with a short but clever build up to the fury. The song explodes outward, casting its rage everywhere. There is a lot of groove injected into the riffs as well, creating a headbanging song that flows well.
“Trenched In Blood,” is, well, a bloodbath of brutal vocals, pervasive guitars, and a bass/drum attack that rumbles like an earthquake. The guitars are a touch dissonant, creating an odd atmosphere that pairs well with the fury.
“Fire, Screams, and Death,” unrelenting and seems to get more and more acidic until around the two minute mark with a blistering guitar solo weaving through the riffs. The later half is surprisingly moving, a slow dirge with one hell of a solo. The last part of the song is clean keys, ending the song on a surprising note that works as well as any other idea on the album.
The final song is “It Dies With Me,” and it ends the album with an explosive statement–absolute banger of a song. The drumming is fast and intense but never loses that tight crisp approach. Some of the heaviest riffs are featured here but what really grabbed me was the moody mid section that leads into a rather big, epic moment as the band goes for broke.
Ultimately, Codex Mortis has crafted an impressive album with “Tales of Woe,” and it definitely left me wanting more. The short runtime, however, just means there is plenty of time to replay this beast again and again.
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