Mortal Blood - Vigil for a Hallowed Earth

 Mortal Blood is a one-man doom metal band from Baltimore, Maryland that began with its debut EP “Unholy Feast,” in 2022.  The musician behind all this is Dan Krell and “Vigil for a Hallowed Earth,” is the second full-length album.

I reviewed the previous album, “Harbinger of Chaos,” and praised it because it offered a unique take on doom metal.  So how about this new album?  I can say it continues the band’s unique vision on doom and pushes the established sound even further out there.  

“Vigil for a Hallowed Earth,” is a very extreme album, perhaps one of the more extreme ones I’ve heard this year.  I say not because it is heavy (it is, obviously) but because the atmosphere down to the very bones of the album is so goddamn apocalyptic and cult-like.  I said their previous album might be the soundtrack for such a disaster, but this album is the soundtrack for the end of the human race itself.  Maybe life itself.  

Every song across the 10 tracks, 1 hour runtime of the album is filled with dread, trepidation, and the futile search for redemption while waiting for a savior that isn’t going to arrive.  It’s a hard listen not because it isn’t enjoyable but because of the constant unnerving feeling that curses through my body when I listen to this.  But that is also why it’s so good because it represents the power of the music.  Humans tend to put emotions into ‘good’ or ‘bad’ categories but, the truth is, emotions aren’t about that concept but things we just have to face–and will eventually do so, even if we fight it.  

There is no fighting this album.  It is just something I succumbed to and let it not so gently wash over me.  Maybe it even went into me and pulled out a part of myself that was always there but hidden deep.  

“Crow’s Sweet Caress,” is the first song and is a harrowing example of what this album and Mortal Blood’s brand of doom extremity offers. The drums and bass are like a buzzing in the ear that grows louder with each passing second.  The vocals offer both clean and extreme approaches but, at times, they seem placed in odd sections of the music and jump out in odd ways.  It is quite terrifying.  The guitar is almost minimalistic; it’s there but not presenting itself as actual riffs but instead of another disturbed sound that soaked into the spaces between. 

“Mask of Gilded Skin,” is more straightforward compared to the opener but only in comparison because Mortal Blood doesn’t do anything straightforward.  I love the bass in this song–it’s the foundation and the rest of the song builds around it, like a Frankenstein of notes and disparity.  The final part after the 3:30 mark is melodic but in a weird way…. melody is often thought of as catchy and pretty but that isn’t what is happening here.  I don’t know what is.  But I like it. 

One of my favorite songs is “Decay and Burn.”  The vocals are run through some kind of filter, and it is despotic.  The main guitar riff matches the tone; this tone is heavy but detached like we are all of us on the outside looking at it on the planet and watching it decay because of our own selfish needs yet unwilling to do anything.  The goddamn futility of this song is nearly tangible.  The guitar offers little leads, harmonies, and small, short notes that are like shards of glass that fall and cut their way down. 

“Where Hope Has Fled,” and “Stench of Borrowed Truth,” are two of the most interesting songs on the album.  They are back-to-back to each other but take different approaches.  The former almost seems like an interlude with its pulsing hypnosis that sort of freezes the brain.  It’s atmospheric with a lot of little details to take in and seems both ghostly and ghastly.  The latter is a much more conventional song with a heavier rhythm and less floaty foundation.  The drums are the standout on the song, but the deep riffs threaten to take that mantle as well.  This song is really oppressive and it’s the musical version of dropping a bag of hammers down some stairs. 

The album ends with “Clay Born Titan.”  It’s a deceptively simple song that reveals its depth over time, using a simple guitar line to carry most of the song while the vocals ring out like an ethereal being through the fog.  This is a hazy, veiled song that sort of creeps by like the slow opening to a portal to another dimension.  Or something.  That sounded right.  Anyway, this song is cool and ends the album on the right note.  

With “Vigil for a Hallowed Earth,” Mortal Blood continues to be a breath of fresh air for the doom genre and metal in general.  This is an esoteric experience that may not appeal to those without the acquired taste so shut up and go acquire it.  

Rating: Excellent