Release date: Out Now!

MORBYDA is a speed metal band hailing from Leipzig, Saxony, Germany. Formed in 2022, the band has quickly gained attention in the underground metal scene for their raw, high-energy sound that pays homage to the classic speed and thrash metal of the 1980s. Band’s artistic output is characterized by fast-paced riffs, aggressive drumming, and a raw production style that harkens back to the early days of speed metal. Their sound is reminiscent of bands like early Slayer and Exciter, appealing to fans who appreciate the unrefined energy of the genre’s pioneers. Early on, their influences were also drawn from the more traditional, but equally fast bands of the New Wave of Heavy Metal movement like Skull Fist, Evil Invaders, and Stallion.

A grand debut statement, MORBYDA’s “Under the Spell” is a fresh breath of old air. Wild yet locked-in, exhibiting both the fury of youth and the ageless wisdom of the ancients, the band’s debut album remains a HEAVY METAL album above all. The atmosphere may be blackened, the pace swift but never overly speedy, the shifts in dynamics and textures equally restless and thoughtful, but MORBYDA display a maturity beyond their young years.

Review

Opening the bill is “Evil”, with exact duration showing 3:33 minutes (double that and an interesting number shows up), and the first thing to notice, besides the devilish squeals of a bunch of unholy creatures, is the atmospheric type of sound the band recreates from the very first strike. It feels both familiar and uncommon, vocals bit blurred at this stage in favor of the rhythm section, yet in perfect accordance with the wicked message transmitted. Add the high-pitched vocal heights on the chorus and the gnarly gutting guitars, rampant at specific moments across the composition, and you get a “VENOM meets MIDNIGHT” type of setting, definitely sparkling my curiosity to carry on this journey into forsaken territory.

They say evil is the “Mother Of Decay” and MORBYDA adhere to that notion in their second crusher, starting kind of loose, abandoning the atmospheric mantra by getting closer to thrash blackened roots, not being stuck to the cliché. A way more solid grid of riffage and battering drums surfaces all across the composition, clever breaks in between verses that come back speeding towards the next one, all decorated with bold solo guitar outbursts. Nearing the middle, we encounter a curious mosaic of instrumental as an autonomous fragment within the piece, something that speaks of self-confidence in breaking the pattern. The final rush is charged with aggression; however, it’s again the instruments that lead the dance of decay.

A MAIDEN-esque passage rushes in to “Open The Gates Of Fire”, igniting a heavy shout to let all things burn. Speedy banger that pivots in vocal delivery style, not too much, giving nice preference to group back vocals, putting a new spice in the metal mix. The rhythm is lively, pumping gallons of heavy fuel in our ears, that soon enough convert into red-hot cylinders of headbanging engine. True to their treat, MORBYDA are positioning another razor-sharp solo in the middle, followed by extended machine-gun bridge that feels both different and amalgamated. As the album advances, more and more we spot a sense of complexity and completeness in the songs, growing in sophistication, not at the expense of variety, and when a band has such talent, it usually means they’re quite self-aware in their creative pursuits. It’s the outstanding one from the first triad and moving along comes with a genuine excitement from within.

“Turning The Wheel Of Steel” goes with a mellow acoustic guitar intro, surrounded by a stormy ambient sound to amplify the nostalgic grief effect, though for a mere half a minute, before being pushed back by a cutting edge distorted riffage that brings the real deal. This establishes the main musical theme and while the verses and chorus part don’t fall in exact match, this contrast makes the track look primordial and polished at the same time, opening the development options further on and inviting displays of improvisation that gradually build the image of almost symphonic variability. Fluctuations and sudden turnarounds become the norm, for the delight of those listeners fond of shifts and twists, while the vocals, being clearer, do not defy the overall logic, keeping in line the emotion and grit. Surpassing the admirable 6-minute mark, hand on heart, this is the most NWOTHM song in the listing at this stage, a realization that gives me a big smug smile.

It’s “The Curse” that follows suit with an ornament more belonging to an outro, as if the song starts with an ending. I find this amusing and there’s not much time to reflect on that method, since the band throws us into the deep with a sequence of bars full of solid guitar presence and the much-anticipated vox kick-in. All fair and square, MORBYDA maneuver through several passages to explode in a firm and wicked way of uncompromised metal madness, with a drumming that evokes parallels to hammering nails to a coffin. The piercing solos, far cry from monotony, beautifully resonate with the main underlying rhythm and when it comes to those title shoutouts in the verses – climax is perhaps the right term to use about the effect exercised on the audience. I nominate it for the best candidate of a crowd pleaser and hope to verify this claim personally any time soon.

It’s not rare a damnation to cause certain “Sacrifice”, sometimes in perpetuity, bringing tones of lament as we find in the arpeggiated intro of this next song. Spirits are swiftly animated and a minute deep, not a trace of the downhearted morale has left. Just the opposite – a vigorous shriek shatters the atmosphere, hailing the vibrant core part, combining marching beats on the background with chopped-up lyrics, abrupt alteration of tempos, spiced with prolonged wailings and masterful guitar gimmicks. That’s totally relatable to the final power portion we get in our faces and summing all up, it’s an unambiguous comeback to a prevalent black metal stylistic, roundtripping to album’s beginning, just prior to title track presentation.

“Under Her Spell” to be punctual and it’s easy to disregard the slight discrepancy in the naming convention between album and song. But I bet it’s all done on purpose and only the authors know who the mysterious muse behind that trick is, so rationalizing it in my mind, would simply tie it to the enchantress character from the cover, that stares at us with empty, yet bloody eyes. Moving from the visual to the audible, there is a sense of epic grandeur in the starter part that quickly translates into a chugging riffage, endorsed with another of them growling snarls and a beautiful dissonance between both guitars. Soon enough we realize it’s all been just a stage setter, when the main theme comes into play, shifting gear in speed and aggression of expression. MORBYDA are clashing and thrashing at their very best, clearly stating why this piece has been chosen to front the record. If you look (actually hear) closer, you’ll find multiple influences ingrained in their performance and in my case there’s some deep and covert MOTÖRHEAD legacy peeping behind the curtain. In the beginning I outlined the VENOM affiliation, which grows stronger in the second part of the song, perhaps displayed at its best during the instrumental interlude nearing the last chorus. A hybrid of hyper-speed rollercoaster and a time machine, that’s the facemelter moment to highlight before wrapping it up with the mandatory “ugh!” finalizer.

Reaching termination point “Morbid Ways Of Dying” ignites a wildfire of exhilaration, progressively intensifying their tunes, adding layer upon layer with each consecutive bar for a remarkable minute or so, broken by (guess what?!) a pivotal guttural grunt that resets the track towards the rawness of the first verse. The frontman Chris does a brilliant job here, keeping it clean and straight to the point, and I would say it’s his shining moment we’ve been all waiting for. The chorus is simple, however to die for, pumped up and hyping like an overdose of heavy metal steroids, so take my word for it – the moshpit on this one will really break some bones and take you to the limits. No chance to pass on the thrashy ingredients in the mash-up, getting most of the traction in the instrumental part starting at the 3-minute mark, smelling so tasty like late 90s SODOM that I am totally bought in this final chapter of the journey!

Conclusion

Eight songs in 40 minutes looks like a golden standard for a debut release; however, the purpose of this review is to go beyond dull statistics, focusing on the intrinsic nuances that motivate a band to invest their heart and soul in a production of that scale. MORBYDA represent that wave of young inspirational artists of the heavy scene, living their rough cut of reality, looking on the world with their own lens and channeling the experience via their music. “Under The Spell” has plenty of ideas, overflows with attitude, sounds modern and old-school at once, leaving plenty of space for interpretation and by far attracting fanship from diverse becomings. Arguably, the majority of the tracks evolve in non-linear, often unexpected ways, not lacking signature moments – all stepping stones towards building a band’s own style and aesthetic, putting fair portion of hopes and expectations on a potential sophomore album. Still there are some sharp edges to be polished, flaws to rectify and proficiency to be gained. All in all, I am pretty positive this diamond will shine even brighter in time and take the well-deserved place in the crown of our beloved genre.

TheNwothm Score: 8/10

Line-up:
Joris – Drums 
Julez – Guitars
Chris – Vocals, Guitars
Antonio – Bass

Links

Bandcamp:https://dyingvictimsproductions.bandcamp.com/album/under-the-spell

Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/morbyda_band/

Label:ww.dyingvictims.com