Mord'A'Stigmata/Like Ants And Snakes/Pagan Records/2022 Full length Review

 

  Poland's  Mord'A'Stigmata  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  shows  them  moving  away  from  their  black  metal  and  focusing  more  on  the  avant  garde  and  post  metal  sides  of  their  musical  style  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2022  album  "Like  Ants  And  Snakes"  which  will b e  released  in  November  by  Pagan  Records.

  Sound  clicking  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  clean  playing  a  few  seconds  later  while  all  of t he  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  When  clear  vocals  are  utilized  they  also  give  the  music  more  of  an  avant  garde  edge  and  half  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  At  times  the  music  also  gets  very  experimental  sounding  while  synths  and  piano's  are  also  a  very  huge  part  of  the  recording.  Melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  along  with  the  music  also  adding  in  a  great  amount  of  post  metal  elements  and  one  of  the  songs  also  introduces  spoken  word  parts  into  the  music.

 The  album  avoiding  the  use  of  any  harsh  or  black  metal  style  vocals  which  where  a  very  huge  part  of  the  earlier  releases.  Saxophones  can  also  be  heard  briefly  as  well  as  the  music  sticking  to  mostly  a  slow  or  mid  tempo  musical  direction,  female  vocals  are  also  utilized  briefly.   The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Esoteric,  Spiritual,  Misanthropic  and  Negativity  themes.  

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  decent  sounding  recording  from  Mord'a'Stigmata  and  while  some  black  metal  fans  might  not  like  the  new  style,  I  can  see  this  album  appealing  more  ot  fans  of  avant  garde  and  post  metal.  7  out  of  10.

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Mord'A'Stigmata/Songs For The Exiles (Live At Roadburn 2019)/Pagan Records/2020 Live CD Review

  Poland's  Mord'A'Stigmata  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  continues  the  avant  garde  style  of  post  black  metal  from  their  previous  releases  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  live  2019  album  "Songs  For  The  Exiles  (Live  At  Roadburn  2019)"  which  will  be  released  in  March  by  Pagan  Records.

  Atmospheric  sounding  synths  start off  the  album  which  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  music  at  times.A  great  portion  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  while  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Vocals  are  mostly  angry  sounding  screams  while  the  music  also  has  its  dissonant  moments  and  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  dark  and  melodic  style.  Blast  beats  can  also  be  heard  during  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  as  well  as  the  tracks  also  adding  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  At  times  the  music  also  gets  very  avant  garde  sounding  along  with  some  tracks  also  adding  in  some  angry  shouting  style  vocals.  One  song  also  introduces  industrial  elements  onto  the  recording  as  well  as  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts  and  as  the  album  progresses  the  songs  also  start  adding  in  more  post  metal  touches.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  negativity,  esoteric,  misanthropy  and  spirituality  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Mord'A'Stigmata  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  avant  garde  and  post  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  live  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Between  Walls  of  Glass"  "Spirit  Into  Crystal"  and  "Dreams  Of  Quiet  Places".  8 out  of  10.

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Mord'A'Stigmata/Dreams Of Quiet Places/Pagan Records/2019 CD Review

  Poland's  Mord'A'Stigmata  have  returned  with  a  new  album  which  continues  the  avant  garde  style  of  post  black  metal  from  their  previous  releases  and  this is  a  review  of  their  2019  album  "Dreams  Of  Quiet  Places"  which  will  be  released  in  April  by  Pagan  Records.

  Ambient  sounding  synths  start  off  the  album  and  also  mix  when  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  music  at  times  while  most  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length.  All  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  the  vocals  being  mostly  angry  sounding  black  metal  screams.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  dissonant  yet  melodic  style  while  thee  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats.  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  at  times  the  music  gets  very  experimental  and  avant  garde  sounding.

  A  decent  amount  of  melody  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  while  one  track  also  introduces  elements  of  electro-industrial  onto  the  recording.  Clear  vocals  are  also  added  onto  some  of  the  later  parts  and  they  also  enhance  the  avant  garde  side  of  the  music  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  whispered  vocals  can  also  be  heard,  the  album  also  closes  with  an  instrumental.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  esoteric,  spirituality,  negativity  and  misanthropic  themes. 

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  album  from  Mord'A'Stigmata  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  avant  garde  post  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Between  Walls  Of  Glass"  "Spirit  In  Cristal"  and  "Into  Soil".  8  out  of  10.

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Mord'A'Stigmata/Hope/Pagan Records/2017 CD Review

  Mord'A'Stigmata  are  a  band  from  Poland  that has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  an  avant  garde  form  of  post  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  album  "Hope"  which  will  be  released  in  February  by  Pagan  Records.

  Clean  yet  distorted  guitar  playing  starts  off  the  album and  they  also  mix  in  with  the  heavier sound  a  few  seconds  later  which  also  introduces  grim  black  metal  screams  onto  the  recording  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  riffs  also  bring  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads a re  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  and  most  of  the  songs  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  clean  signing  is  also  utilized  at  times  and  they  give  the  songs  more  of  an  avant  garde  feeling  and  when  synths  are  used  on  the  recording  they  add  in  a  touch  of  ambient.

  There  is  also  a  brief  use  of  blast  beats  when  the  music  somewhat  speeds  up  while  the  main  focus  is  more  on  a  slow  or  mid  paced  musical  direction  and  you  can  also  hear  elements  of  post  metal  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  a  couple  of  tracks  also  rings  in  a  small  amount  of   spoken  word  parts.

  Mord'A'Stigmata  creates  a  recording  that  focuses  more  on  the  avant  garde  and  post  black  metal  style  this  time  around  to  create  something  more  different  than  previous  recordings,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  negativity,  esoterics,  misanthropy  and  spirituality  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  album  from  Mord'A'Stigmata   and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  avant  garde  and  post  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Hope"  and  "To  Keep  The  Blood".  8  out  of  10.

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Mord 'A'Stigmata/Our Hearts Slow Down/Pagan Records/2015 EP Review

  Mord  'A'  Stigmata  are  a   band  from  Poland  that  has  been  featured  before in  this  zine  and  plays  an  avant  garde  form  of  post  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2015  ep  "Our  Hearts  Slow  Down"   which  will  be  released  September  25th  by  Pagan  Records.

  Drum  beats  start  off  the  ep  along  with  some  melodic  riffing  and  after  a  few  seconds  grim  black  metal  screams  are  added  onto  the  recording  and  some  of  the  riffs  bring  in  elements  of  doom,  post  rock  and  shoegaze  and  when  the  music  speeds  up a  small  amount  of  blast  beats  are  utilized  along  with  some  angry  vocals.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  have   a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the songs  also  bring  in  a  good  mixture  of  both  clean  and  heavy parts  which  also gives  the  recording  more  of  a  progressive  feeling  and  most  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  there  are  also  parts  that  go  into  more  of  a  raw  style  of  black  metal  and  there  was  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  there  is  also  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts.

  Mord  A'  Stigmata  continue  their  avant  garde  approach  to  post  black  metal  while  also  keeping  the  raw  and  progressive  elements,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  negativity,  esoteric's,  misanthropy  and  spirituality  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Mord  'A'  Stigmata  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  band,  you  should  enjoy  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Those  Above".  8  out  of  10.   

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Mord 'A' Stigmata Interview

1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording and release of the new album?

Static: Hails. The release date wasn’t so long ago, just three weeks since Pagan Records showed “Ansia” to the world. So there hasn’t been to much spectacular happenings. Just normal, promotional stuff, like always. Listeners reactions are really enthusiastic till now, so everything seems to be right.

2.Recently you have put out a new album, can you tell us a little bit more about it, the musical direction it has taken and also how does it differ from previous releases?

S: “Ansia” is our third studio album, and it’s different in most music aspects if you compare it to previous releases. We used to generous very furious and chaotic sounds, but our last album is focused on the atmosphere and trance. The spine of our music is still in magic and black metal, but now it’s time for us to slow down and change the way we used to express ourselves in sounds. Hypnosis over blast attack, noise over guitar riffs, space over metal heaviness. “Ansia” is dedicated for personal meditation, for slow down your heart beating and breath.

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the new release explores and also how would you describe your progress as songwriters over the years?

S: Title of the album was my idea and is connected with my personal experiences. I had a really bad time in my life when we’re writing music for “Ansia” , but I think it’s not the best topic for music magazine, I’m sorry.  “Ansia” is not an ideological album, it’s music of emotions. Our ideological manifest was closed on our previous album “Antimatter”, but our beliefs are permanent since a very beginning in 2004. We’re into spiritism, thelema and esotericism, however as I said, lyrics on last album are more “game of words”. If you want words of wisdom, please take this challenge and find our second cd, “Antimatter” released by Sun & Moon Records. As songwriters we are different people now. Is that progress or regress – decision is in you.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name Mord'A'Stigmata?

S: Behind our name are spiritual journeys, drugs disorders and out of body experiences. Whatever Mord’A’Stigmata means, means to ourselves.

5.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and how would you describe your stage performance?

S: For me personally, the best shows are those, which I didn’t remember. It’s mean, if I fall deep in a trance during play live and I’m focusing my mind on pure sound only and forget where am I – that’s the good show. To get that state are necessary some measures. We learned some tricks last years, which helps us to fall into a trance on stage. Hoods and a lot of smoke are part of our present performances.

6.Do you have any touring or show plans for the new album?

S: We’re touring Poland in February 2014 with a great company of two polish excellent acts. That’s the only plan till now, but we love to travel and share our sickness so I hope it will be more soon.

7.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to the new album by fans of black metal and more experimental forms of music?

S: It’s still to early to judge, I think. Till now, feedback is very good in my opinion. It’s not music for masses, so we don’t expect commercial success. But we get to thinking people, that is what I appreciate most.

8.What direction do you see your music heading into on future releases?

S: And again – new album is still very fresh for us. And I think is to early to talking about future releases. If I have to guess, there will be more trance and maybe less guitars sounds, as we have a new member in our crew – an ambient sounds specialist.



9.What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your newer music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

S: There are thousands and thousands sounds which we listen to. Without genre boundaries – we have our filthy pleasure in noise rock, black metal, sludge, krauft, ambient, drone, post rock and many, many others. Our great inspirations are Swans, Neurosis, Pink Floyd, Sonic Youth (last years) and Burzum, Mayhem, Samael (since a very beginning).

10.How would you describe your views on Occultism and Esotericism?

S: It’s a very open question. And very hard in fact, cause in the internet age is always hard to stay plausible, I think. A key-stone of my beliefs is spiritism. A combination of faith and personal experiences, that our material world is not the only one existing. That idea causes another steps like esoteric, (it’s mean in fact hidden from not initiated), path of getting knowledge and self progression. All that you could experience beyond the world of flesh is in circle of my curiosity and the same, becomes a part of Mord’A’Stigmata. If your question could be more specific, maybe I would answer more things that you want to know. But I hope I satisfied your curiosity at least at small part.

11.Outside of music what are some of your interests?

S: In fact, everything I wrote above.

12.Any final words or thoughts before we wrap up this interview?

S: Thank you for your question and interest. Black regards for you and all psychonauts, wanderers, and maniacs, who read this words.

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Mord'A'Stigmata/Ansia/Pagan Records/2013 CD Review

  Mord'A'Stigmata  are a  band  from  Poland  that  plays an  avant  garde  and  experimental  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2013  album  "Ansia"  which  was  released by  Pagan Records.

  "Inkaust"  which  is  also  the first  song  on  the  album  starts  up  with  sound  effects  before  adding  in  some clean  guitar  playing  and  a  few seconds  later  drum  beats start  to  kick  in  which  also  leads  up  to  some  fast  black  metal  guitar  riffs  and  blast  beats  along  with  some  high  pitched  screams  and  then  alternating  between  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  a  couple  of  minutes  later  the  music  slows  down  along  with  some  powerful bass  guitars,  synths  and  avant  garde sounds  for  awhile  before  returning  to  the  cleaner  parts  while also  keeping  around  some  of  the  heaviness  which  also  leads  up  to  a  brief  use  of  clean  singing  vocals  before  reverting back  to  black  metal  screams  and  adding  some  melody  into  the  guitar  riffing  and  the  song  closes with  drone  sounds.

  "Shattered  Vertebrae  Of  The  Zodiac"  opens  up  with  dark  guitar riffs  and  drums  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  along  with  some  bass  guitars  and  black  metal  screams  and  the  music  stays  in  a  mid  paced  direction  for  a  few  minutes  before  calming  down  and  adding  in  some  acoustic  guitars  and  leads  and  you  can  also  hear  some  bass  in  the  background  and  a  couple  of  minutes  later  synths  and  psychedelic  sounds  start  to  kick  in  and  towards  the end  heaviness  makes  it  comeback in  the  music.    

  "Pregressed"  begins   with  some  dark  and  melodic  experimental  rock  guitar  riffs  along  with  some  drums  and  a  minute  later  avant  garde sounding  synths  take  over  for  a  minute  and  then  heavy  parts  make  their  presence  known  in  the  music  along  with  some  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  shortly  after  that  while  also  mixing  in  some  melodic  singing  in  certain  sections  and  you  can  also  hear  the  bass  guitars  at  times  and  towards  the  end  post  black  metal guitar  leads  start  coming  in  and  out  and  the  song  closes  with  some  ambient  drones.

  "Praefatio  Pro  Defunctis"  comes  in with  dark  and  melodic  guitar  riffs  along  with  some synths  and  avant  garde  sounds  in  the  background  and  after  a  couple  of  minutes  drums  start  coming  in  along  with  some  heavy  and  melodic  guitar  riffs  which  also lead  up  to  some  black  metal  screams  and  towards  the end  the  music  starts  to  get  more  fast  with  the  drumming  which  also  leads  up  to  a  small  amount  of  melodic  singing  for  a  few  seconds.

  "Ansia"  which  is  also  the  last  song  as  well  as  title  track  opens  up  with  some  ambient  synths  as  well  as  some  avant  garde and  experimental  sounds  in  the  background  and  the  song  is  all  instrumental.

  Song  lyrics  cover  Negativity,  Esoterics,  Misanthropy  and  Spirituality,  while  the  production  has a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy  and  dark  sound  where  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording  along  with  some  of  the  songs  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  In  my  opinion  Mord'A'Stigmata are  a  very  great  sounding  heavy,  experimental,  avant  garde black  emtal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Shattered  Vertebrae  Of  The  Zodiac"  and  "Praefatio  Pro  Defunctis".  RECOMMENDED BUY.

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