It’s funny how the age of an idea affects our perceptions. Viking metal? Bit silly, but sure, why not. Castle metal? Stop messing around already, enough is enough. However, as Obsequiae have proved, flavoring your metal with some medievalism works. Now Morke‘s mastermind Eric Wing is seeking to carry on growing that new tradition with their fourth album To Carry On.
The core sound of To Carry On is a thick, fuzzy wall of mid-paced melodic black metal. There’s a faintly medieval, often melancholic lilt to the guitars that make Morke‘s castle metal label more than just words. Eric Wing‘s vocals are buried in the mix along with guest drummer CJ Yacoub‘s work, becoming more part of the atmosphere than anything else. This description is good for 90% of To Carry On. The songs all blend into each other with little to differentiate them beyond the odd bout of blastbeats as on “Coup d’Oeil” or the guest guitar work of Tanner Anderson (Obsequiae, Majesties, Crypt Sermon) on “Ashes of Feudalism” and “Wisterian Arbor”. This is the sort of thing that normally bores me but Morke make it work. Here the repetition manages to stay on the right side of captivating atmosphere.
All in all, Morke offers an intriguing slice of black metal that tells a story of finding strength through despair from soundscape alone. You can feel the passion Wing has for both the music and the emotion all the way through To Carry On. I do hope that other elements are added to Morke‘s sound in future, as I’d love to see what more variety could do for them. To Carry On works as it is though, and it works well.
