Islam Is Dead

Well, here's a neat little rarity from a couple of rather experimental Iranian projects. Let's jump right in, shall we?

Mogh are up first. This band presents a very dark atmosphere, utilizing ambient sounds, Persian singing and traditional instruments alongside distorted guitars and very harsh rasping. The songs presented here are mostly slow to mid-tempo, and best listened to with some good headphones. There's a great deal of texture to take in. For example, track 4's intro is designed like a radio broadcast (maybe it is, I don't know); and when it cuts out, we're treated to an eerie piano section with whispered vocals until the song proper begins. This is yet intercut with ambient keyboard work and voice samples. The metal element of this track is a little weak, though. The intro for "Desperate Existance" gives us a cool traditional folk sound before breaking into memorable, culturally infused black metal riffing. "Get Lost Islam From Paganland" is the highlight of Mogh's side of the split, starting with a strong ambient base and building into melodic riffing, occasional blast-beats, drum fills and throat-mangling raspy vocals. Near the end of the song there's a bit of catchy lead riffing as well. Over-all an interesting and unique band, I must say.

Cold Cry's contribution is more ambient than metal. This is fine by me, as they're pretty good at it. You'll find piano/synth work, spoken passages, samples (like the storm on "Hidden Grudge") and violin. Vocals are, like with Mogh, quite raspy, but are louder in the mix. "Cold Forest" is a bit of a dud, with the drum programming rather annoying. On the other songs, it's unobtrusive and fits well enough, especially when coupled with the rasps and strings on track 7, though the song drags on a bit. The last song is Cold Cry's highlight - very emotional, texturally entertaining track that I'd describe as "folk doom". Cool stuff.

These two bands fit well together and are somewhat similar. Makes sense, as Count Dracula (Cold Cry) used to be a part of Mogh. I exclusively listen to this on headphones, this split is packed with what you might call 'layered music' - lots of ambient texture. If you're looking for an unusual, well-written blend of ambient/black/folk, Mogh and Cold Cry should satisfy.