#VAGABONDZREVIEW: OVDETH – MORTAL BURDEN EP

Feb 14, 2022
8 min read

Updated: Feb 23, 2022

Looking for some state of the art death metal to enjoy? Guess I can recommend you something really thrashy, powerful, sharpening and unexpected but same time peaceful, calm, melancholic and mesmerizing. Feeling a bit puzzled already?

I was speaking about OvDeth. Some of my readers are already familiar with this metal band I reviewed earlier. On the first blush, all those elements I mentioned in the beginning of the post are pretty controversial although they greatly balance and compliment each other all across the new Mortal Burden EP. The record combines a bunch of metal genres together with death metal what’s become the main OvDeth direction for music writing.

Today is the day when I’m finally going to give Mortal Burden EP a review. The following OvDeth record was released on February 4 via Inverse Records.

Some information about OvDeth and their new record:

Helsinki based 5-piece Death Metal band OvDeth brings their unique touch to the Nordic extreme metal scene. Since 2016, the band has forged their solid Death Metal rooted music into a recognizable style that conveys a deep and gloomy atmosphere. "From darkness to despair, and ultimately to integrity''. The band voyages boldly into these stands, both on the record and live.

Mortal Burden showcases Death Metal songs from an epic atmosphere to kick-ass headbanging. Each piece paints its own world, tells its own story, and adds to the entire four-part EP. Blasts, grooves, heavy riffs, melodic surprises and slicing growls. With these, Mortal Burden takes it's audience from the historical battle to the mouth of the demon.

Now it's time to start our reviewing journey!

OvDeth - Mortal Burden (OUT NOW via Inverse Records)

The March Of The Blind

Having listened and reviewed Perished in the beginning of the year, I expected the opening song to have a little bit different atmosphere. From my point of view, it would have been a song starting in some thrashy and wild way with fast tempo blast beats complimented with heavy and sharp guitars destroying everything around. Instead we have quiet, calm and peaceful song beginning with mesmerizing acoustic guitar melody keeping in awaiting. Soon the acoustic guitar gets supported with deep and mighty kick beats opening the main chapter of the record. Hell yeah, this band can surprise! And as I always say, the peaceful and silent beginning is always the sign for something massive to break this lasting tranquility.

Amazing and catchy element having a softening effect is the lead guitar melody supporting the main idea as far as the verse starts. By the way, it wasn't also predictable element for me because I got used to hear at least short heavy instrumental intro additional to the clean one. This one has a great deal of Finnish melancholy as well and in combination with torn and heavy riff it has the right effect to make the massive EP opening.

The most epic part of The March Of The Blind is the chorus that makes the kicking rush from death to power metal. Thanks to the power metal elements dominating here, the chorus idea captures and sticks to your memory immediately. My imagination draws OvDeth playing this part live (The March Of The Blind would be perfect choice for the live show opening song to my mind!) and I already feel that enormous energy situated in chorus. Such things should be played hella loud to make moshpits all around. This moving effect from power metal elements is embodied in the wonderful sound field spread what is reached by vocals and drums acting together loudly.

As for me The March Of The Blind is totally great EP opening song as far as it contains different shades of OvDeth sound to introduce their music and namely it goes to the great deal of melodies, soon changed with classic OvDeth death metal sound expressed by sharp and dominating guitars along with powerful growling vocals. And a bit of power metal elements in chorus give damn heavy surge of adrenaline.

What has been a nice surprise for me is the guitar solos that take the significant part of the song final. After such mighty chorus the solos work so great keeping that power and precisely I enjoyed the final ones. Some elements included in those solos grab attention nicely and I need to admit the guitarists' playing and composing skills that lead to the riveting and powerful melodies.

The Ancestor

As far as the song intro comes to life, I immediately catch the nice vibe from Stam1na and their song Hyvää Yötä. I really adore that one from Taival album and especially that lasting and peaceful intro melody. These kinds of intro represent genuine Finnishness implementing the lasting melodics and keeping me in awaiting for something powerful and huge to burst with once again. The catchy song beginning welcomes the beautiful and powerful guitar intro that went incredibly gripping.

Guitar is something I surely like here in The Ancestor. The band kept using the great deal of lead parts in verse transporting the initial idea what helps to soften the growling vocals striking and sharp effect.

What appears to be another surprise of Mortal Burden is the clean vocals usage. Frankly speaking it wasn't expected, even I've heard a bit of those in Perished bridge before. But currently the clean vocals dominate the main song part. In my opinion, it was great idea to enliven the sound adding the new element, but it seems to me the clean vocals are lack of dynamics here. To my mind, the clean vocals doesn't sound prevailing what causes the loss of all those perfect features inherent to this vocals style. Seems they are just hiding in sound field. Maybe it was up to the band to make such sound. Anyway, there comes a guitar solo after the chorus and I feel the joint to be made maybe too sharp because of sound level difference. On the other hand, maybe it was another idea from the band to add some unique elements to their song.

Besides, the guitar solos are fulfilled with energy expressing good dynamics. It is the great step from the band to try diversing the basic guitar solos with adding background clean vocals there. With skillful and complex lead guitars work, those help to build the balance in whole mix.

The part I enjoy the most in The Ancestor is the second verse. I feel the second verse to begin in just a breathtaking way and how nicely it was kept with vocals and drums dominating. Here the great power metal influence is felt and it turned out to work so good to make classic death metal sound variable and gripping.

The outro bridge was made in the best traditions of death metal and I also hear power metal elements here again. How nicely those operate the sound!

Perished

To my mind, Perished is the most crazy moshpit song out of Mortal Burden EP expressing pure death metal energy fulfilling your veins with adrenaline and power. As far as I've already went through this song, now it's time to start using quotations from Perished review I've written.

The beginning of Perished sharply erupted with kicking brutal death metal riff soon caught by strong and violent blast beats. That’s obviously good step from the band to gather attention and make a name of geniune death metal band.

The only sign of melodics is the bridge fulfilled with Finnish melancholics. Those made me change my first impression about Perished.

After such touching and downhearted part I started taking this song in a bit another way. I feel many freedom shades concentrated in growling vocals but also I can speak of pain and despair. I'm sure Perished to be fulfilled with sorrow even the violents parts placed throghout the song.

Again, it damn perfect song to play live to feel that energy embracing you throughout the thrashy verses and tranquill bridge.

Even the song isn't enriched with advanced melodies, the ideal and suitable dynamics are made by kicking mixtage of all intruments. The guitar riff mostly remains the same and to my mind it's great advantage for this song because namely this feature makes the single so driving while the vocals support that idea making it more spacious. The riff faces a slight change closer to the end of the song only, making a great finish and adding up to the main idea.

Saturn Devoured

Blast beats soon got supported with intriguing lead guitars. The vocals sound like they are on the background at first. The lead guitar track helps emphasizing melodics and this song is closer to melodeath than to death metal as separated genre. Moreover, the band uses clean vocals for bridge again what seems to be an interesting shade added. Another unexpected moment here in acoustic guitar track with attention grabbing growls on the background. Here I can even feel some folk elements in whole melody. Then the acoustic guitars join the game adding very special shade to the main idea of the song.

My favorite part here becomes the guitar solo. Lead guitar sound is built nicely and what I especially like is the effect added. Oh yeah, it makes the lead guitar has more folk elements. So I think when it comes to Saturn Devoured we are speaking less of death metal and more about melodic death metal.

About The Entire Record

The record was made in pretty professional way. The song structures used across the EP aren't bstandard and it makes the listening process more gripping and exciting. To built the entire opinion of Mortal Burden I needed more listenings than usual due to the record's expressiveness and complexity.

Talking about sound production as a whole. The guitar sound was built wide and powerful, in some moments sharpening when it comes to death metal influenced parts. The great deal of dynamics is felt in guitar solos all across the record and solos themselves were built in talented and skilfull way. Those are melodic enough and in some moments containing shred elements. So the guitar work is fantastic and worth many respects.

What seemed to be odd talking of the entire sound production is the middle range frequencies in some EP parts. They doesn't seem to be fully expressed to my mind. Again, maybe it was only about the band's ideas or some EP record conditions.

Mortal Burden is fulfilled with devastated feelings and gloomy shades in some moments. Mostly those were created with clean vocals and tempo slowing down. The wide range of instruments and effects used create the great deal of dynamics across the record. I found interesting and entertaining listening to Saturn Devoured having Lost Society's Deliver Me vibes closer to the EP final part. There was also some unexpected instrument choices including piano and acoustic guitar what's not typical for extreme genres. Talking about my favorite one from Mortal Burden, I think to choose The March Of The Blind having a great deal of power metal elements and mighty chorus able to make everyone headbanging.

OvDeth undoubtedly have gripping approach to songwriting. They’ve diversified death metal genre adding other metal genre elements there. You know, sometimes genres mixture may be weird. But adding the shades of related metal genres can be a winning point for the music. Death metal is heavy and gloomy genre itself and it can be made wider and more powerful with adding power metal elements. To my mind, power metal is one of the best genres to make combinations with because it makes any song sound just EPIC.