Dreams of Quiet Places

Mord’A’Stigmata have long been one of the most intriguing bands of the modern black metal world due to the complex, layered approach they take to the style. Most black metal fans know the Polish scene for bands like Mgla and Cultes des Ghoules. Those are good bands but stylistically, Mord’A’Stigmata sound nothing like either one of them. Their sound is much more nuanced and detailed like the fine brush strokes of a great painting and yet, they are unmistakably black metal at their core. Their last album, Hope, was incredible and did not get the attention it deserved from a majority of black metal fans sadly. Now two years later and with a new drummer, their fifth album, Dreams of Quiet Places, has come forth.

The album opens with an atmospheric intro that leads into a rapid progression of tempos in “Between Walls of Glass,” a track which runs the gambit from slow-burn atmospherics to super-fast double kick drumming with solid riffs in the background. While this is a great opening, the album really takes off with “Exiles,” which has a total banger of a main riff pattern. It has that fuzzy guitar tone that you would expect to find in stoner/doom and it will stick in your head too. Yes, there are the standard tremolo picked riffs and those are killer too but the main riff in the beginning comes out of nowhere and totally rocks the listener’s world. The riffs on this album overall are definitely heavier and clearer than on past albums, which gives Mord’A’Stigmata a fuller sound. While that is not usually something you look for in black metal, it adds a unique dimension to the music that helps set it apart from the rest of the fray.

These guys have always had a knack for writing intricate songs with many layers to peel back but the new drummer really brings a lot to this album, especially when it comes to variation of tempo and patterns. Sure, he has the classic double kick pattern going but his fills are also pretty sweet. The alternating groove beat on “Void Within” is a great example of this because it just rocks and sits right in the pocket where you just want to jam to it. Ygg also has that feather touch for the cymbals and rim hits that have become a staple of black metal over the years. His ability to go from feather touch to pounding beats so seamlessly really stands out on this brilliant record.

You know what else stands out? Ion’s tasty bass licks! You do not normally hear much bass in black metal but there are groovy bass lines all over this album and it really adds another layer of awesome to this album. Yes, Ion’s tortured growls are fantastic as always but his bass work does not usually stand out this much. His growls have always lent a unique sound to Mord’A’Stigmata and this album is no exception with plenty to offer in that department. Ion does not go the high scream route very often but it provides a nice contrast when he does.

It is always tricky when bands put out an album that is so tremendous like ‘Hope’ was because fans will expect the next one to be even better. Mord’A’Stigmata did the smart thing with this new album. ‘Hope’ was so good that topping it would have been incredibly difficult so they went in a slightly different direction this time. There are a number of subtle industrial/electronic elements on this album that add depth to the album. The title track is a little odd for this reason but it being so short actually makes it a decent resolution to what feels like an album long climax. At the end of the day, ‘Dreams of Quiet Places’ is a brilliant album that may be looked at as a slight step back for the band but really, it is absolutely on par with the rest of their catalog. Is it as good as ‘Hope?’ That is a matter of opinion. It is not really better or worse. It is just a slightly different approach and it works quite well for Mord’A’Stigmata.

- originally written for The Metal Observer