MADDER MORTEM „Eight Ways”

Music: Progressive Metal
Website: http://www.maddermortem.com
Country: Norway
Duration: 64:23 (12 songs)
Cool Songs: Formaldehyde, Armour, The Riddle Wants To Be; Life, Lust & Liberty

After three years they're finally back, with their already fifth studio album. Their name may seem unknown to some people, but after hearing them once, you'll never mistake them for some other band. Madder Mortem. A band, that you can at the first glance easily class with numerous Scandinavian female fronted bands. But headed by unique Agnete they're leaving all such bands far behind.

In their new album “Eight Ways” they're even more diving into experimentation and exploring. The whole album stands on contrasts, almost ethereal guitar accompaniment is changing into old school heavy riffs, apart from incredible Agnete's vocal abilities. It is entirely obvious after the first listen that all the members are extraordinarily talented, which gives them extra space for concentrating on details and feelings.
Especially charismatic Agnete Kirkevaag is exploring her potential more than ever. Sometimes perfectly soft and tender, sometimes you'd swear her vocal cords are about to crack. Together with such bluesy and jazzy progressive music, where every single instrument has its own space to develop, her voice creates a perfect harmony. A great example is the first single of this album, “Armour.”
The only thing I would reproach is the last track of the album, “The Eighth Wave,” a great song, but it definitely shouldn't be the last one. But that are Madder Mortem, never expectable.

If I had to choose one word that describes this album and Madder Mortem's music in general, it would be 'intelligent.' As well as their other records, “Eight Ways” takes its time until it reveals its resplendence, but it repays for it amply. It's probably not an album you'll listen to while traveling in a car, but you'll never get tired of it.

note: 9/10

Tracklist

1. Formaldehyde
2. The Little Things
3. Armour
4. Resolution
5. A Different Kind Of Hell
6. The Riddle Wants To Be
7. Where Dream & Day Collide
8. The Flesh, The Blood & The Man
9. Get That Monster Out Of Here
10. Life, Lust & Liberty
11. All I Know
12. The Eighth Wave

Line-up

Agnete M. Kirkevaag − Vocals
BP M. Kirkevaag − Guitars, backing vocals
Odd Eivind Ebbesen − Guitars
Tormod Langřien Moseng − Bass guitar
Mads Solĺs − Drums