Mul
Human Vindice

Brilliant. Boring. Disturbing. Trite. It's hard to categorize this album by the Norwegian band Mul released in 2001. A hypnotic and oppressive doom, 6 tracks with a total duration that almost reaches 60 minutes, with a peculiarity: "Human Vindice" is an (almost) completely instrumental album. No growls, no clean vocals, no gothic whispers.

A pseudo-industrial sound introduces the first track "Separate Propositions" which languidly drags in its heaviness with the organ increasingly coming to the forefront to suffocate the other instruments until a gloomy bass interlude starts the album's only acceleration.

Even more oppressive are the atmospheres of "Thought Cube" where a searing river of guitar riffs is joined by an organ that acts as a muddy bed in which to get entangled for the second half of the song (which lasts 10 and a half minutes!).

In "Under Mud" the guitar distortions reach the verge of being unbearable with a typical sound of a damaged speaker membrane, and for the first time, you hear 2-3 murmurs of a distant lament, immediately sucked up by the electric whirlwind of the 6 strings.

The screech of keyboards and violin is chilling in "The Central Meaning," while the concluding "Placet Of Deceit" drowns us even more, if possible, in static melancholy, thanks also to a piano intro played in a horror movie style, continuing for over 4 minutes.

And finally, like a curse from heaven, towards the end of this last track, a voice appears that's halfway between death metal growl and a graceless moan, yet still remains hidden among the wall of music, noise, and anguish erected by Mul.

Well! An album that struck me and that I dare to recommend for its originality, although for those not fond of the genre, more than indigestible, it could prove to be detrimental or deadly.

ZOT !