Mord 'A' Stigmata "Hope" CD Digipack

Comes in 6-panel digipak and includes 8-page booklet.

The path of Mord'A'Stigmata is the one of constant growth. Always on the fringes, the group formed in 2004 and helmed by guitarist, composer and main visionary Static has maintained a reasonable distance from the main routes extreme music had followed, forming its identity year by year. Originating from Poland's ever-blooming black metal underground, the band has however shunned all stylistic limitations right in the very beginning, and with each release manifested their defiant nature as well as the ability to embrace and explore new sonic lattitudes.
After the success of their last full-length “Ansia” (2013) and “Our Hearts Slow Down” EP (2015) – both exposing the group to the worldwide attention - Mord'A'Stigmata return with another big musical statement and what has every chance to become their most accomplished work to date. Divided into four chapters, “Hope” is a ride into the palest corners of the void within oneself. Mord'a'Stigmata's fourth full-length conveys a landscape of deep melancholy adorned with sparks of light. To some it will bring anguish, while providing release to others.

The Polish black metal scene has been steadily growing in size and quality for a number of years. You have bands like Cultes des Ghoules leading the charge that was started by bands like Lux Occulta. Those bands are fairly well-known in black metal circles but sitting more on the fringe are outstanding bands like Mord ‘A’ Stigmata. Their style is labeled as post-black/avant-garde metal and that is fairly accurate but they tend to lean a bit more towards avant-garde much of the time. Hope is their fourth album and their second released through Pagan Records.
The biggest standout on this album is the drumming. Hope is full of interesting fills but what really makes DQ’s performance stand out is all the different kinds of drumming he employs throughout this brilliant album. Over the course of four long songs, you will find fairly standard metal drumming, black metal rim drumming, extremely clever kick drumming, very tasteful cymbal work, and purposeful drum hits that sound like what the drummer does when the sound man says “play a round” and/or something Phil Collins would write. What you will not find on this album are the standard hyper speed blast beats and the relentless double kick drumming that have become the norm for many black metal bands. There are moments of double kick drumming but it is slower than the norm and much more tastefully done. DQ uses it as a way of driving Mord ‘A’ Stigmata’s music instead of as a cop out to create “atmosphere” which is extremely refreshing to hear.
The other thing you notice immediately about Mord ‘A’ Stigmata is the beefy riffs. Most bands in the genre rely heavily on dissonant, tremolo picked riffs that can sound thin and tired. Fortunately, Static and Golem XIV do things differently in Mord ‘A’ Stigmata. They still rely on dissonant, tremolo picked riffs but their guitar tone is much meatier, making for a far more interesting listen as they only use the standard style as a change of pace. It never feels like they are trying to create a particular atmosphere but they create a great one anyway. The twin guitar attack helps the band a great deal because it fleshes their sound out and enables them to layer cool guitar melodies on top of the awesome riffs. There are only a few guitar solos on here but they are short and somehow slightly catchy, which is rare in black metal.
Pacing wise, the songs on Hope are mostly mid-tempo with some faster sections like the ones in the opening title track. These songs all contain a few tempo changes though, keeping the music fresh and interesting. For example, “To Keep the Blood” starts out with a series of heavy, plodding, mid-tempo riffs and then goes full force for most of the track, ending with one of those short but somehow catchy guitar solos. It is also the only track where Ion’s bass is audible but even that is brief. “In Less Than No Time,” the album’s closer, probably has the least amount of changes in tempo but even this 11 and a half minute epic has changes in riff style and drum style. The production is lo-fi but everything is crystal clear according to what Mord ‘A’ Stigmata wants you to hear. DQ’s drumming is definitely the star of the album as his fills cut through the mix with clarity and ease. Despite the length of these four songs, there are not a ton of lyrics to be heard. There are enough lyrics to make Ion’s screeching vocals worth mentioning because they are actually quite good. The lyrics are only semi-intelligible but if you look them up, they are actually very insightful, which is yet another reason to love Hope and Mord ‘A’ Stigmata in general. In terms of straight black metal, Hope is a strong contender for album of the year but there are still plenty of albums yet to be released this year so only time will tell.

Sample: https://www.youtube.com/watch?...