Here at MER, we strive to follow state-of-the-art Metal. However, we sometimes deny our roots, occasionally talking friendly trash about those who came before us. Enter Codex Mortis‘ Tales of Woe, a band trying to capture the spirit of the second wave of Black Metal (but meaner). It’s an extremely difficult task! You might be thinking, “What does The Catto mean? It’s been done to death”. Precisely, my child! How is this going to surprise us when “pure” Black Metal has become a constant trip to the past? Let’s find out!
Behind all the primal rage that Tales throws in our faces, there’s an honest attempt to write enjoyable riffs that linger with you even after the experience is over. I get that these guys were going for a “take no prisoners” approach, because being possessed probably feels as disorienting and confusing as I felt at some moments of Tales. In that sense, the album successfully makes you feel trapped in your own body. As a creature of science, I must clarify for the naive ones: you can’t be possessed. However, you can be brutally judged by people who don’t know better, which is honestly more terrifying if you think about it. After all, hell is other people.
Despite the rawness that reminded me of Belphegor, there are excellent ideas here (“Forsaken” and “It Dies With Me” are good examples), though I regret the compression limits my enjoyment of them. I understand that this is intentional, but I’m not sure if it makes me mad or puzzled. There’s not much to say in terms of pretension; Tales has no pretensions but to portray evil in an unsettling way. So, if you dig Blackened Death Metal, this is for you!
Time to address the elephant in the room—or in this case, the freaking Deinotheriums! The production of this album is dense and loud, but let me elaborate. It’s not the static or white noise that challenges you like most Black Metal; it’s the fact that the band sounds like someone pushed all the guitars and vocals to the absolute max. Then the drummer said, “People, what about me?” and they replied, “Don’t worry, we gotcha,” and proceeded to ignore the poor drummer (at least the bass is there!). Black Metal lives and dies by its blasting, and I would’ve liked the drums to be more present, not so far in the background. On a minor note, is it just me, or do these tracks feel a bit too independent from each other? Just a random thought!
Codex Mortis did something I didn’t expect—perhaps something I didn’t even fully like—but I see how Tales has its time and place in the Metalsphere. It’s nasty, dirty, and honest, like your friends never were with you. It’s left a lasting impression in my head. It’s evil but never compromises its heaviness. That’s something I enjoyed. Rarely can a band balance evil and violence well, and in that sense, Codex Mortis succeeded. If you’ll excuse me, I have to practice an exorcism on the house dog. The dude sounds weird again.
Label: Black Lion Records
Release date: 21 June, 2024
Website: https://www.facebook.com/CodexMortis
Country: Netherlands
Score: Death via exorcism, or 3.0/5.0 for those no trve enough!
Metal Eclipse Reviews 