Oh, what a surprise it was to get to do a piece on the re-release of Norwegian black metal legends Mortem’s Slow Death! A huge thank you to Peaceville for deciding to throw this one back out there in a two-disc set containing the original recordings along with some of the demos. Included in the release is the original 1989 booklet with an extended band history and some awesome rare images. I am actually finding it kind of hard to pick a place to begin! 

I mean we are talking about Mortem here. I guess the best place to start would be the demos. I am always soooo stoked to get to hear demos. I literally flip back and forth constantly paying attention to the little nuances that are added or in some places subtracted. 

It is a groovy experience to get to hear the band in their “garage band” form then to listen to the “production” applied. These cuts are, in a word, amazing. To hear what the band evolved into in the studio is really surprising. I personally am a huge Mortem fan so this was an awesome experience to say the least.

Scary movie music is how I always describe it to people who aren’t necessarily extreme metal fans. Kind of how some directors work in horror. It’s just the medium they chooseto work in. And this legendary cut is definitely horror in sonic form. 

I love the speed at which it’s delivered before turning on a dime with a brooding melody that keeps you on the edge of your seat. It paints a definite picture in the mind of the listener, conjuring images of demons and devils and all things dark with growling guitars and vocals that are simply evil. 

One of my favorite parts of early metal such as this will always be the drums. I love the crazy blast-beats of today’s metal but there is nothing like the old school drummers kicking their own asses to bring the speed the cuts call for. Mortem will definitely be the benchmark for extreme metal for a long time and this fact is expressed in the shit ton of bands that draw their inspiration from this album alone. 

I would definitely recommend this album to any extreme metal fan, you will not be disappointed. For those who remember it will make for an awesome trip down memory lane. For those who are hearing this for the first time I envy you, how awesome it would be to go back and relive the experience of hearing this album for the first time.

Buy the album here: https://peaceville.bandcamp.com/album/slow-death

8 / 10

TORBJORN SOLGARD