Mordkaul – Feeding the Machine Part 1 (EP)
Release Date: 16th February 2023
Label: Self Released
Bandcamp
Genre: Melodic Death Metal
FFO: At the Gates, Dark Tranquillity, The Black Dahlia Murder.
Review By: Rick Farley
There’s absolutely nothing left to be said about melodic death metal. It came, it conquered, and it reinvented itself a thousand times over. Bands like Carcass, At the Gates, and In Flames all helped pioneer melodic death metal in the early to mid-nineties in some fashion or another. The scene exploded in the early 2000s with The Black Dahlia Murder, Children of Bodom and Amon Amarth and went completely nuclear, mainstream wise, by the time the subgenre of metalcore hit. Ever since then, the scene has been hit or miss as far as I’m concerned. I’m no gatekeeper by any means, but when a genre explodes the way melodic death metal did, there’s little room left for originality, let alone quality bands. Those earlier bands have done it way better already and the second wave of bands changed it up just enough to keep it fresh, but at this point in 2023, what could any band possibly have left to say. Turns out, Belgian melodic death metal band Mordkaul doesn’t have anything new to say, but still can hold a fairly intriguing conversation.
Feeding the Machine Part 1 is an EP that’s set to be released digitally as videos and singles, with part 2 being recorded in May 2023 with a release date of summer 2023. Physical copies will release once both parts are fully complete. An interesting concept that could pay off. The production on the EP is crisp and full, sounding clear but with some edge. It was recorded at Project Zero Studios by Yarne Heylen with mixing and mastering done by Dan Swanö.
Primarily, this is an At the Gates lovefest at least riff wise, that’s not a dig, however. The album is done extremely well and worth checking out. There’s a reason those early bands are still emulated to this day. Mordkaul does an excellent job of hanging onto that influence and inspiration while writing some killer music that still holds up within an old, tired genre, while adding in bits of more traditional death metal. The metallic chunky riffing of In Dead Eyes sounds hooky and brutal. It’s thick with low end from bassist Jan Rammeloo that pummels the listener. It’s a mid-paced track that’s heavy enough to crush and melodic enough to be catchy. Welcome to the Six Stage of Grief is a crunchy riff fest that’s driven by punishing double bass from drummer Tony Van den Eynde evoking some Morbid Angel influence. The track erupts further into fast pedal tone riffs and galloping guitars. Guitarist Vincent Noben and Stefan Segers shine with dual harmonies and buzzsaw grinding tones. Where Mordkaul finds its own voice is the strength of the overall song writing. The songs are just written well and executed flawlessly. Music writing credits are listed as written by Tim Bekaert. Another contributing factor to this is vocalist Tommy Goffin and backup vocals from Stefan. The gutturals are low, and the growls are raspy with personality, with the ability to control harsh tones in a way that’s extreme yet melodic. Definitely a step up from typical melodeath vocals, which helps separate Mordkaul from the pack.
Feeding the Machine Part 1 shows tremendous promise from a band that has potential to make some waves, but for now we only get half the picture. Check this EP out and keep an ear out for part two. Hopefully, It’s even stronger.
(3 / 5)
