Mors Principin Est
And Death Said Live

April 2013
Released: 2012, AFM Records
Rating: 3.5/5
Reviewer: Metal-Rules.com UK Team

Despite quite a hard to pronounce name, the English translation means 'Death is The Beginning'.

The Finnish quintet formed in 1999 and since that time they have released various albums and gone through various line up changes. Their latest offering And Death Said Live, is the product of the newly refined metal outfit whose maturity to song writing shines brightly here.

　

Opening with a choir fueled induced intro of ‘The Awakening‘, the tonality is set, as the metallic driven guitars burst in with ‘Departure’ that are met with enraged drumming.

The screaming vocals intrude in a well timed fashion and manage to keep up with the collision of melodic metal influences. The keyboard and technically proficient guitar solos are where things really start to pick up, making it a formidable opener to the record.



‘I Will Return’ comes loaded with energetic drums and fast paced riffage and represents a pit stirring worthy track to get venues trashed by their loyalist fans out there. The track features some surprisingly well executed finger tapping solos that showcase the guitarists skills in a much more prominent way.



The record features two tracks with guest vocals from Ryan Knight, Black Dahlia Murder and Jona Weinhofen from Bring Me The Horizon. The first of the two, ‘Birth of the Starchild’, barges forth at a relentless speed which is carefully dissected with some electronic beats thrown in here and there. The lead guitar keep the adrenaline pumping through the veins in a fairly satisfying experience.　

　

‘What the Future holds’ is also worth noting, in regards to Weinhofen’s contribution, as the song sweeps past with a dangerously sharp procession of guitars and infernal growling and screams to match.

Going out in style, ‘Dead Winds of Hope’ throws the techy guitars at the forefront with a slightly better range of growling throughout. The fret board craftsmanship really shows here whilst the drum work remains consistent throughout. The symphonic dynamics inserted into the mid breakdown corrode with the mesh of metallic influences and brings everything to well rounded closure.



Overall the musicianship and production of are the redeeming qualities of the record and in time the band could really become something truly special. The lead guitar on the albums title track ‘…And Death Said Live’ was a juncture where the albums song writers really shine. It will be interesting to see what the future has in store for a band with as much promise as these guys have.



Review by Ben Spencer