MORTAR - M33 (2007)

Through the Triangulum Galaxy

This is an enigmatic band for sure. Now I can’t even call to mind where I found any information about it. What’s more, they are absent in the zines I own, I saw only few reviews of this material in the web. Due to rereading of Arthur Clarke’s Space Odyssey series some weeks ago, I started to search for recordings with something related to cosmos or space science. And yes, despite of clichéd band’s name, the title “M33” is something like black holes or cosmic cannibalism for space enthusiasts. Why? Because M33 or Messier 33 is the Triangulum Galaxy, being one of the most distant yet permanent objects that can be seen with the naked eyes. Sounds promising…

I’m taking about an independent release, but believe me, everything is just perfect when it comes to producing process, simply Migdał Mobile Studio did a really good job making “M33” a professional thing to explore. The music itself isn’t the biggest secret to be solved, it isn’t a captivating masterpiece release either. Well, the Mortar’s style lies somewhere between melodic death metal and its technical side, I would say both genres seems to be complementary to one another and such a symbiosis works here. Although basing on things once intended, it has been served with easy flow, not boring ideas and quite brave visions supported by musical skills. And technical face of Mortar shows some connotations to Polish kinsmen Sceptic or Trauma, yet only two tracks (“Triangulum” and “Vision for Tomorrow”) have faster and wild tempo but it doesn’t last through whole songs. Besides, I found bashful sounds proper for two last Death albums, especially in broken second track or all these cosmic-like interludes that occur in almost every song. Vocally Hubbas tries to deliver many different kind of screams, growls and clean parts (to a much lesser extent though), sometimes his voice is deformed (“Alira”, “Influence”) and he did it in a really good way – no boredom whiles detected. As concerns melodic side, for sure old In Flames should be nice example for my theory, just listen to mentioned “Alira”. Effortlessly I can put it to the track order of “Subterranean”.  Then “Influence” contains of very interesting leading Swedish-like melody as well, in turn, in “As a Slave’s Soul” melodic meanings softens the whole track unfortunately.

“M33” ends with an instrumental title song. And it is a great pity that this album is a swansong of the band, because the last almost five minutes are really something good, something which gives a hope for better tomorrow. Actually the song combines all the elements I mentioned earlier, served in fascinating way and supported by… galactic touch. While summing the thing up, let’s play with a band’s name. If it’s a mortar as a bowl-shaped vessel in which substances might be pounded, each musician is a pestle and makes the various sounds a good music. For sure, mixing two genres in such interesting way is not an excess of form over substance. The band is gutsy, seems to be otherworldly with a cosmic vision and I liked it. But disbanded since 2009 for unknown reason for me…

82/100

-Tlacaxipehualiztli

(written in February, 2017)