Mortuaire - Monde Vide

Mortuaire is a death metal band from France, who formed in 2021.  They have wasted little time in getting their music to the underground, releasing their debut a year later in 20022.  Just a few years afterwards, and they are debuting their first full-length album “Monde Vide.” 

I am unfamiliar with their EP but “Monde Vide” is a solid romp of nasty death metal that includes a lot of doom elements.  The band takes the route of Asphyx or Incantation, alternating between faster tempos and sprawling passage of slow, crushing doom. However, they have their own sound that is as dismal as it is brutal. 

This album is surprisingly catchy in a lot of places—more catchy than music this damn disgusting usually is.  Of course, it’s riff based so the focus remains on the guitars but I can’t discount the bass and drums either—a powerful rhythm duo that never lets the song be anything other than sounding like you’re dying alone in a cave while rats eat your insides.  

The production isn’t what I would consider pristine but it still sounds pretty good—no complaints from me on that, because I’m a production whore.  Besides, when the music is this good I don’t want it to be muffled; I want to hear every sickening note and that is what I get on this album. 

The pacing is damn good too—it’s five songs at just over a runtime of 35 minutes so there isn’t any time to get bored nor does it feel anything less than that 100% complete. No intro, outro, or pointless interludes, which seem to be an increasingly common issue in metal. “Monde Vide,” is a highly focused album that wastes no time—it gets in, gets off, and gets out while it fucks your earholes.

Since it’s only five songs, I will say a little about each one.  I will preface this by saying every song offers something great and remains remarkably consistent across the board. 

The album begins its slow descent into madness with “Mauvais Présage.”  The song opens with an earth shattering mid-paced rumble—the bass is killer!   The double bass is perfect in the mix as it beefs up the song without overpowering it.  Doom grooves carry the song to faster tempos before settling back into slower but catchy riffs.   My favorite part is after the 3:12 mark, with a wonderfully melodic passage that is backed by profane screams.

The next song, “Pyramide d'Or,” is a little slower in the burgeoning moments.  I love the thick riffs here that slowly get a little faster over time, subtle in their abilities to devastate.  As the song pushes towards the halfway mark, the vocals turn from growls to a very effective gritty yell that is actually quite emotive for what it is.  The second half of the song is more akin to traditional death metal, right down to the short but blistering solo.   The last minute and a half or so sees the drums kicking up the aggressive factor while the riffs add flashes of melody.

The title track comes out blazing fast for the first 30 seconds or so before offering up one of the filthiest passages of doom metal I’ve heard this year. The firs half of the song switches between slow and mid paced tempos, varying the degree of how it pummels.  But the second half is one of the best parts on the entire album.  The bass gets its moment in the sun, leading the riffs into just abyssal riffs that are suffocating as hell.  

“Tranchant,” is possibly my favorite of the five songs—-goddamn, the guitars are badass the entire time, just throwing out riffs left and right.  The drums are insane and very complimentary of the guitars.  Groove, groove, and more groovy is cast out like deadly magic and the bass seeps through the cracks like the smell of sulfur from some demonic pit.  This song reminds me a lot of Bolt Thrower, and if that isn’t a compliment then I don’t know what else to say.

“Octogone de fer,” ends the album on a bang.  The bass is at its best–deep, full, and just as abrasive as the guitars.  The song fades out around the 3:52 mark, introducing a passage that’s just bass, growls, and minimal drums. This sparse passage, however, speaks volumes and it bridges the two halves of the song together perfectly.

Mortuaire’s “Monde Vide,” is a surprisingly strong debut from a band who so obviously grasps  how to work both doom and death metal to their advantage.  If you’re a fan of either style, I highly recommend this album. 

Rating: Great