Tardus Mortem - Official Website


Armageddon

Denmark Country of Origin: Denmark

1. Condemned To The Halls Of Infernal Sin
2. From Heaven's Throne Thee Bring Forth Death
3. Gust Of Armageddon (Suicidal Winds)
4. Nun Of The Pyre (2021 Version)
5. Into The Grave (Grave Cover)


Review by Benjamin on February 14, 2024.

Madder Mortem return in 2024, with their seventh full-length, and are presumably wondering as they must with every release, whether this will be the one that sees them finally grow their cult following into the kind of wider success that the quality of their progressive metal surely deserves. Despite a string of excellent, and critically-praised albums, it seems that the band have never quite been in step with the zeitgeist, and consequently the breakout moment that they have seemed destined for has never quite arrived, despite the a sound that would seem to appeal strongly to the kind of audience that has made the likes of Opeth, Leprous and (at least until their demise) Nevermore giants of the modern metal scene. 

Regardless of its wider impact though, in Old Eyes, New Heart, the Norwegians have authored another excellent entry into a stellar back catalogue, and their existing audience will no doubt clutch the band even closer to their heart, safe in the knowledge that they, at least, have acknowledged the ongoing brilliance of Madder Mortem in good time. Once more, the band continue their gradual refinement of a sound that has allowed them to carve an ever deeper niche since at least 2003’s Deadlands. Juddering djent-adjacent riffs share space with gargantuan choruses that soar eternally on the wings of Agnete Kirkevaag’s never less then bewitching voice, equally adept on the sultry lounge-blues of ‘On Guard’ as she is hitting the strident and skyscraping heights of the much heavier ‘Master Tongue’, which skitters its way through interesting staccato rhythms, before building to a sublime coda, guitars and voices joined in towering unity. Although the band have a slight tendency towards the overwrought, the melodies are generally so strong that this can be easily overlooked. When, however, they show the lightness of touch that they are so capable of – most impressively on the gorgeous vocal progression contained within the verses of ‘The Head That Wears The Crown’, Madder Mortem are the spellbinding equal of The Gathering, or Amorphis’s more gentle moments. There is something enormously satisfying about the band’s latent heaviness being restrained, hanging over the listener like a lead weight, only to be released at the last possible moment for the greatest impact, and the magnificent ‘Cold Hard Rain’ achieves this effect perfectly. When the thunderous chords finally descend, the effect is stirring indeed, as the mid-paced throb of the monolithic guitars and bass moving together thrills with sonic enormity, like a giant taking its first steps. 

As the album progresses, the huge variety offered by the high calibre songwriting means that the listener is continually assailed by both the immediacy offered by the surprisingly up-tempo ‘Things I’ll Never Do’, which tears out of the trap like a lost Insomnium track, and the more slow-burn elements of the band’s sound, typified by the gentle textures of ‘Here And Now’, which is a winning hybrid of latter-day Anathema atmospheric rock, and the kind of muscularity familiar to those of us enraptured by the recent Converge / Cave In collaboration, "Blood Moon". If there is any real criticism to be made of Madder Mortem, it is that their music is so precise and finely crafted that some may consider it a little sterile at times, as if developed in a lab, rather than forged in the fires of dank, sweaty clubs and cavern-like rehearsal rooms. Perhaps it is this obvious commitment to musicianship and melody that is off-putting to those who like their metal a little more wild and unrestrained. For those, there is probably little that Madder Mortem could do to convert them into true believers. This listener needs no converting, however, and it is reassuring to find Madder Mortem maintaining their customary standard, with another set of unforgettable songs. The eyes may be old, but the heart now beats just a little bit harder.

Rating: 8.3 out of 10

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Review by Benjamin on February 14, 2024.

Madder Mortem return in 2024, with their seventh full-length, and are presumably wondering as they must with every release, whether this will be the one that sees them finally grow their cult following into the kind of wider success that the quality of their progressive metal surely deserves. Despite a string of excellent, and critically-praised albums, it seems that the band have never quite been in step with the zeitgeist, and consequently the breakout moment that they have seemed destined for has never quite arrived, despite the a sound that would seem to appeal strongly to the kind of audience that has made the likes of Opeth, Leprous and (at least until their demise) Nevermore giants of the modern metal scene. 

Regardless of its wider impact though, in Old Eyes, New Heart, the Norwegians have authored another excellent entry into a stellar back catalogue, and their existing audience will no doubt clutch the band even closer to their heart, safe in the knowledge that they, at least, have acknowledged the ongoing brilliance of Madder Mortem in good time. Once more, the band continue their gradual refinement of a sound that has allowed them to carve an ever deeper niche since at least 2003’s Deadlands. Juddering djent-adjacent riffs share space with gargantuan choruses that soar eternally on the wings of Agnete Kirkevaag’s never less then bewitching voice, equally adept on the sultry lounge-blues of ‘On Guard’ as she is hitting the strident and skyscraping heights of the much heavier ‘Master Tongue’, which skitters its way through interesting staccato rhythms, before building to a sublime coda, guitars and voices joined in towering unity. Although the band have a slight tendency towards the overwrought, the melodies are generally so strong that this can be easily overlooked. When, however, they show the lightness of touch that they are so capable of – most impressively on the gorgeous vocal progression contained within the verses of ‘The Head That Wears The Crown’, Madder Mortem are the spellbinding equal of The Gathering, or Amorphis’s more gentle moments. There is something enormously satisfying about the band’s latent heaviness being restrained, hanging over the listener like a lead weight, only to be released at the last possible moment for the greatest impact, and the magnificent ‘Cold Hard Rain’ achieves this effect perfectly. When the thunderous chords finally descend, the effect is stirring indeed, as the mid-paced throb of the monolithic guitars and bass moving together thrills with sonic enormity, like a giant taking its first steps. 

As the album progresses, the huge variety offered by the high calibre songwriting means that the listener is continually assailed by both the immediacy offered by the surprisingly up-tempo ‘Things I’ll Never Do’, which tears out of the trap like a lost Insomnium track, and the more slow-burn elements of the band’s sound, typified by the gentle textures of ‘Here And Now’, which is a winning hybrid of latter-day Anathema atmospheric rock, and the kind of muscularity familiar to those of us enraptured by the recent Converge / Cave In collaboration, "Blood Moon". If there is any real criticism to be made of Madder Mortem, it is that their music is so precise and finely crafted that some may consider it a little sterile at times, as if developed in a lab, rather than forged in the fires of dank, sweaty clubs and cavern-like rehearsal rooms. Perhaps it is this obvious commitment to musicianship and melody that is off-putting to those who like their metal a little more wild and unrestrained. For those, there is probably little that Madder Mortem could do to convert them into true believers. This listener needs no converting, however, and it is reassuring to find Madder Mortem maintaining their customary standard, with another set of unforgettable songs. The eyes may be old, but the heart now beats just a little bit harder.

Rating: 8.3 out of 10

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Review by Alex on August 25, 2021.

Tardus Mortem easily caught my attention with their debut album that has one of the ugliest productions I've yet to hear in a death metal album. The riffs are all there, however; you would have quite some digging to do before you can find them. The vocals are like a tempest summoned from the abyss of the earth, and the drumming or at least what you can make out of it, has a primitive coat, somewhat unpolished in terms of composition yet in it lies a chaotic characteristic or aura that adheres to the tumultuous template of the material. 2 years later the band have put their blades of destruction to carve out of the genre yet another brilliant and violent sonic display.

If you were to compare Armageddon to Tardus Mortem's debut full length, you'll immediately notice the production has applied a bit of sheen to the old lumber. The vocals appear more distinguishable yet still indiscernible whilst the riffs are given a spotlight of sorts such that you don't have to go sifting through the distortion and crumbling production. The drumming also appears to have undergone some work; yes there is still the mark of confusion and brief outbursts of technicality, but through the production, emanates and reflects a less impulsive more controlled and mature hand on the sticks. Also, there is a definite step up in the song writing here as there are more parts that beak away from the leads and venture off into their own sub territories but still corelate with the primary idea of the album. Definitely borrowing from Incantation but still has at its core a strong and overpowering identity of its own. Operating without fear, Tardus Mortem take their sound to depths new and destructive.

Its pretty much a night and day contrast with Armageddon, its technically superior, compositionally mature, the production value is reminiscent to something more akin to that of a band aiming for clarity in their music such that their strengths could be highlighted and appreciated. Take for example opening track 'Condemned To The Halls Of Infernal Sin', it’s not hard to hear that the band wrote that song with a lot of feeling as you'd hear the rhythmic commotion descend into an acoustic instrumental piece before reverting to the storm of growls and militant drumming. Then there's 'From Heaven's Throne Thee Bring Forth Death' making its entry with stomping aggression and fury armed with a killer lead riff. Then there is that fine line between technicality and chaos that Tardus Mortem walk excellently as neither is overrepresented. Guitars go bat-shit nuts on this track during the soloing segment and has a distinct sound as though masked with a thin sheet of 8bit sound effects.

'Gust Of Armageddon' sum up the effort Tardus Mortem commits to with an ambitious 23-minute runtime challenging the listener to keep up with the instrumental butchery occurring. Mid-paced sections segue into blizzard like gusts of violence while death doom metal parts linger and are held up by instances of melodicism. Armageddon sounds like a capsule of destruction that acts as a protective shield around a sacred thing of beauty. It’s an album that also carries with it the feeling of meticulously carving out an element of innocence only to crush, rip and tear it apart just for the sake of violence.

Can't find anything to complain about where Armageddon is concerned. If there is this much growth taking place in the span of 2 years, then Tardus Mortem are well set for dominance.

And checkout the gravity blast on 'Gust Of Armageddon', fuckin sick.

Be warned.

Rating: 8.6 out of 10

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