(written by Islander)
The Polish band MROME have been making music since the mid-’90s, first under the name Kingdom and then as MROME. Under the latter name they’ve released four albums so far, most of which we’ve paid attention to (as you can see here), and on June 23rd they’ll release a fifth one.
Entitled Boneyard Twist, the new one includes 9 tracks recorded live in the studio, and the band have described it to us as “a kind of return to our dark roots from the early ’90s, inspired deeply by the first wave black metal.” Lyrically, they tell us, the songs deal “with grave residents, disabilities of body and mind, necromancy and… monks exploding!”
What we have for you today is a full stream of the new record, preceded (of course) by some thoughts about it.
I already spilled a lot of words here about just one song from the album (“Aristocrat“), one whose lyric video YouTube shackled with an age restriction apparently because of indecent language (just imagine how many extreme metal songs would be subjected to that if the words were on the screen instead of being unintelligibly growled or screamed — or maybe the algorithm has recently been adjusted to show greater sympathy for… aristocrats).
That song is a musical menace in more ways than one. The heavily rumbling and sharply cracking drums are a menace to listeners’ necks. The vividly ringing, dismally sizzling, and viciously slashing guitars create sensations that are both unearthly and malignant. The vocals are raging monstrosities — roaring and screaming, gritty and crackling with hateful passion, straining at the leash to tear open throats.
“Aristocrat” also displays some of MROME‘s perpetual strengths — it’s groovy and it’s catchy. They rock instead of blast; the riffs have hooks; it’s sinister, even demonic, but it gets stuck in the head. No wonder they chose it as the album’s lead single.
But you don’t get to “Aristocrat” right away. Three other songs precede it. The album opens with “Figures“, which is also devilish but both more jubilant and more frightening. The drums indulge in double-bass onslaughts and punkish fervors, but also ruthlessly pound.
This time the guitars also set up a slashing punk progression but as the song slows they also reverberate in ways that seem to wail and throb in agony. The gut-bruising bass lines keep things heavy, and the vocals create an even more deranged and spine-tingling pageantry of turmoil and torment.
“Hypercarnivore” initially comes across as more primitive and morbid but although the song stalks and lurches like a golem, the guitar also wildly frolics as the snare vividly snaps (demonic frolics, to be sure).
By now, it becomes quite apparent that MROME are indulging not only the influence of first-wave black metal but also manifesting the idea that Hell is empty, because the devils are all here. Their songs sound like soundtracks for Samhain, where veils have been torn asunder, allowing nightmare creatures to prey and play.
But the soundtracks aren’t all the same, even though the songs share kindred traits (including those head-smacking drums, chime-like leads, and blood-congealing vocals). “Mind upon Matter” is a furiously violent assault, backed by blasting drums this time, and driven by feverish riffage that sounds desperate in its mood — something desperate to attack, something else desperate to get away.
On the other side of “Aristocrat” are five more songs. For fear of trying your patience, we won’t comment extensively about each one. In changing ways the songs continue a pattern of implanting fiendishly effective rhythmic and riff hooks, and intertwining moods of cruelty, degradation, despair, dangerous jubilation, and teeth-bared rage — all of it cloaked in an aura of the infernal.
MROME do this by amalgamating feral punk chords and vicious tremolo’d chords, pulse-pumping and neck-wrecking beats, bowel-loosening bass maneuvers, and some of the scariest voices you’ll hear this side of Hades’ gates.
MROME do break up their nightmare tour with “Bonemass“, which is less of a song than a field recording of Hell’s worst torture chamber, the most nightmarish stop on the tour, just in case all the shit hasn’t been scared out of listeners yet. We should be thankful that it’s not longer than it is. (We should add that the bizarre closer “The Opening Bat“, which includes both fervent chants and a rendition of “Daisy Bell”, will make you think of a boneyard dance, the dance of risen skeletons.)
The timing of this premiere is awkward. It comes on the summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere, the longest day of the year. It would have been better arriving on the next solstice, the longest night. But that’s okay. The music alone will take you to midnight realms all by itself.
MROME is:
Key V – guitars
Ataman Tolovy – vocals, synthesizer, lyrics
P. – drums
CREDITS:
All music and lyrics by MROME. Boneyard Twist was recorded live on November 18, 2023, at Heaven’s Sound Studio by Marcin Piekło. The vocals were recorded in February 2024 by Ataman Tolovy at PiekłoNiebo. The album was also mixed and mastered at Heaven’s Sound by Marcin Piekło. The front cover art is by Matusz Gawęda, and the album layout by Ataman Tolovy/PiekłoNiebo.
Boneyard Twist will be released on June 23rd, digitally and on cassette tape. It’s available for order at this location, where you can also explore MROME‘s previous releases: