Mizmor – Prosaic
Release Date: 21st July 2023
Label: Profound Lore Records
Bandcamp
Genre: Black Metal, Doom Metal, Sludge Metal.
FFO: Thou, ORM, Inter Arma, Downfall of Gaia.
Review By: Carlos Tirado
Mizmor is a project that has garnered praise for its humane and visceral approach to addressing mental health challenges, which sadly is not the norm in the metal genre. This makes it even more important to promote their work. I have been following the band since its album Cairn, and I’m familiar with their sound, but Prosaic promises to be a more direct iteration of the Black, Doom, Sludge metal mix that Mizmor has mastered thus far.
I must admit that my initial reaction to the album was mixed. The songs felt slightly less cohesive compared to their previous efforts. While they still conveyed a sense of bleakness, crushing heaviness, and heart-wrenching emotion, their structure gave me the impression that some of the songs could have been divided into smaller tracks. There were many changes throughout, but the riffs seemed to remain static. This subtle difference from Mizmor‘s previous work does matter. It creates a more straightforward atmosphere that strongly reminds me of Thou.
Only an Expanse and No Place to Arrive are the tracks where this feeling of stunning passages forced together is most evident. Each individual component sounds great, but I’m not convinced they fit together seamlessly. At times, the riffs become repetitive, and I believe that all the songs could benefit from two or three minutes of editing. While some elements of this album are truly beautiful and captivating, proper editing would enhance their impact significantly. Anything But and Acceptance stand out as the highlights of the album, and it’s no coincidence that they are the tightest and more melody-driven tracks.
The conflicting guitar tone and vocals in Mizmor have always intrigued me. On one hand, the sluggish and thick guitar tone is uncommon in traditional Black metal, and the vocals express immense pain and despair, conveying an authentic and gut-wrenching quality. However, in Prosaic, the guitars and vocals are much louder than anything else happening in the music, to the point where it feels like they are competing for dominance. Again, this subtle difference from their previous work significantly alters the overall feel of the album. It will likely please Sludge metal fans more than Black metal enthusiasts. Overall, Prosaic is an interesting album that, despite its setbacks, still holds merit within Mizmor‘s catalogue. It may not be as strong as Cairn, but diehard fans will certainly find enjoyment in it. This is not an easy listen, but it’s possible that your patience will be rewarded.
(3 / 5)
