MORNE (Demo 2008) LP/CD
I'm very picky when it comes to the genre of crust, because a lot of these bands have nothing better to do than to recycle the best riffs from groups like Amebix, Sacrilege, Discharge or Bolt Thrower. Only a very few bands have managed to add something on one's own, while most of them sound all too similar, so that I prefer to listen to the old bands like I did in the early 1980's. By the way, at that time nobody called this kind of music "crust", because it was just hardcore punk with a strong metal influence. That's just my modest remark for all those who like to subdivide a musical genre into one hundred subgenres... Of course, MORNE don't reinvent the wheel and their heavy sound is crammed full of influences from later Amebix and Sacrilege, but their first seven song demo shows that it's possible to turn your ascendancies into something outstanding. Maybe one of the reasons is the fact that the line-up of MORNE features Milosz (ex-Filth Of Mankind) on guitar/vocals, and second gutarist Jeff Hayward (ex-Disrupt, ex-Grief, Slugpuncher, Noosebomb) though he wasn't involved in the recordings of this demo. MORNE radiate an apokalyptic and bleak atmosphere directly from the start.
Heavy riffs are attended by eerie keyboard sounds to make sure that the listener get caught up in the maelstrom of each one of the included seven songs. It doesn't matter, if you listen to this demo on a sunny day, because I promise that it will banish all your positive thoughts within a few minutes. Suddenly you find yourself in a world of derelict ruins and shattered dreams, what is just another indication for the intensity of their music. The song arrangements are well-elaborated, including changes in tempo so that it's always a pleasure to listen to the epic songs. Milosz' mighty vocals inflesh the raving spirit of MORNE's sound perfectly, but the whole band is playing tight and experienced. I'm very impressed with the production of the demo, which is sounding better than several albums. Maybe the band felt the same, because meanwhile it's also available from No Options Records as vinyl edition. Milosz sent me a CD which looks also very good with professional artwork containing all lyrics, but each edition is strictly limited. To sum up, I can say that MORNE is definitely the best crust band I've heard in a long time. They write remarkable songs and their sound is heavy as hell. I'm certain that their first full-length will be a monster, but before I give you the advice to buy a copy of the demo, because it's a masterful work.
(KK)