Euphrosyne – Morus
Release Date: 21st March 2025
Label: Black Lion Records
Bandcamp
Genre: Post-Black Metal, Doom Metal.
FFO: Deafheaven, Ghostbath, Alcest, Astronoid, Behemoth.
Review By: Hillary Wisniewski
From the fair land of Greece comes Euphrosyne with their debut album Morus. Formed in 2021, this project is the brainchild of Efi Eva (vocals) and Alex Despotidis (guitar). The duo wanted a method in which they could bring forth their blend of melody, darkness, and post-black metal dynamics. After the positive reception of two singles, the band became a quartet with the addition of George Gazis (bass) and Stelios Pepinidis (drums). Morus is not just a run-of-the-mill premier; it is a complex work which focuses on the death of Despotidis’ mother due to cancer in 2017. Many of us have experienced the death of a loved one due to this horrid disease, and can relate to the absolute emotional havoc it wreaks. I am truly sorry this work comes from such a place of pain, and yet it makes me appreciate the vulnerability and honesty involved in working through that experience with music.
Since Morus is a journey of working through grief, one must understand this means the music itself encapsulates a variety of sounds to reflect emotional depth. I typically don’t read a press release before listening to something, as I want to enter the experience as a blank slate of sorts. Because of this, I was perplexed as to why the tracks bounced around in terms of sound. I thought, “Are they just trying to find themselves musically?” Now I have the context, and I make mention of it in this review as it truly made a difference in how I perceived the album. The track July 21st starts with gorgeous vocals backed by piano; it is misleading though, as the heaviness soon comes out of nowhere like a mallet to the face. Just in this track alone there are elements of symphonic, black, and doom metal; this is the case with most songs on Morus. Despotidis does well in regard to utilizing melodic sounds effectively throughout which helps to add layers and allows breathing room between crushing riffs. Both Gazis and Pepinidis are able to hold down the low end and add their own flair to round everything out nicely. Eva is an immensely capable and versatile vocalist. I’ve heard similar acts which needed two vocalists to pull off what Eva can do on her own. When she is singing about difficult subject matter, you can feel the sincerity and pain resonating in her voice. It’s always fantastic to see more women in metal and especially when they can step out of what may be considered “acceptable” in terms of gender expectations. My feminist heart is happy.
Overall, this is a solid debut album, and it does justice to the experience of grief. At some points there are elements which, quite honestly, would likely be commercially appealing. Obviously that may not resonate with all listeners. It also boasts solid production which is clean as a whistle, and I think it would have added another layer of complexity had the production kept a bit more of an organic element. Are these factors a complete deterrent to me listening to Morus again? No. I suspect this will be on rotation during times of death and grief, and I want to thank Despotidis for sharing his experience with us musically and Eva for being able to capture it lyrically. I will be interested to see what the future holds for Euphrosyne; I certainly think they have potential to become more widely known.
(4 / 5)
