EP Review: I – II // MØL
MØL are not like any metal band. Their sound is a hybrid of black metal and shoegaze called blackgaze. It is easily digestible, combining harsh vocals with beautiful dreamy guitars. This was demonstrated on their brilliant debut album Jord, one of 2018’s finest albums. The album gained admirers from Daniel P Carter to Metal Hammer and was released to critical acclaim. When I first heard it, I was blown away. The beautiful guitars and blast beats owed as much to My Bloody Valentine as it did to Deafheaven, creating a rewarding listen.
On 7th June, Holy Roar are re-issuing the band’s first two EP’s, I and II. The debut, released in 2014, showed the bands potential. ‘Sundrowned ‘ is drenched in reverb, with heavily distorted guitars and vocals low in the mix. The drums crash in, and it is a joy to listen to. Then comes a very catchy riff towards the middle of the song, which you won’t be able to get out of your head. It shows the tight chemistry that comes together throughout the rest of the EP. ‘Airy’ is equally stunning – tight drumming combining with beautiful guitars drenched in reverb. ‘Makhachkala’, the last track, brings everything together, with a mesh of blast beats and beautiful ambient sounds.
On ‘Kathexis’, the band developed their sound, resulting in heavier production. The guitars are drenched in distortion and pushed higher up in the mix. This song shows the progression very well, with some captivating screams. The double kick drums on ‘Rush’ combined with the chunky guitars compliment each other very nicely. There is a clean guitar lead that really ads to the ambience before the pulsating roars get the listener amped up as if they’re ready for battle.
The brilliant thing about this re-issue is that it gives listeners a glimpse into MØLs early work. It shows why, even when they were starting out, that they were carving a sound of their own, paving the way for a bigger, brighter future.
Words by Ermis Madikopoulos