EP Review: The Mountain King – Apostasyn (Self Released)

The Mountain King, the blackened experimental post doom and drone band are back with a brand-new EP called ‘Apostasyn’. Featuring four monumental tracks and their instrumental counterparts. The EP will released on February 2nd, 2024.

Says The Mountain King:

Apostasyn is our slow descent from the drug that is religion. To leave the tradition of your social group is the hardest part of life nonetheless important to open a new world for yourself and those brave enough to join.

Abolish the past, embrace the end!

If you, as a listener, know anything about The Mountain King, it is to expect something wholly unique and extremely challenging. A band that is quite impossible to categorise, crossing genres in ways that few would be brave enough to do. This creed is front and centre throughout this new EP, where an opening track like Dødo can leave you feeling mentally drained already.

A track that is steeped in atmosphere, has egregious post melodies, hits with doomy weight, and has a thick vein of drone intensity running through its nine-plus minute runtime. It’s a fabulous experience that leaves you feeling short of breath as it is such a suffocating one. Massive shoutout to Julia Gusso too, who delivers an immense guest vocal performance here.

An exhausting start, but it almost seems like a form of relaxation, when compared to the following title track, which pass the fifteen-minute mark. Not only that, it’s a track that can be called a ‘slow burn’ as The Mountain King takes time to set the scene. A scene that is covered in darkness as troubling heaviness is unleashed. Yet, what makes this track so captivating is how The Mountain King slip effortlessly between brackish heaviness and moody melody. The perfect example of how this band crafts detailed music that full envelops the listener.

Does it get any less extensive? Of course not, it’s The Mountain King and with The White Noise from God’s Radio, experimentation is the word. Here is where the word ‘drone’ really comes into play, although with level of otherworldly atmosphere this track has, another could be ‘spacey’. Before the shortest track of all (only six-odd minutes long), Axolotl Messiah touches the soul with some tearful melody. While also having some of the heaviest doom and post based sounds of all.

It’s so good, you won’t want it to end. Happily, The Mountain King have heard your cries for more and added instrumental versions of each track. Which, if we’re being honest, aren’t necessary listening, but there’s certainly never going to be any complaining about having these options here. With, or without them, Apostasyn is a phenomenal release that proves, once again, that everyone who enjoys being challenged by metal music should be listening to The Mountain King.

The Mountain King – Apostasyn Track Listing:

1. Dødo
2. Apostasyn
3. The White Noise from God’s Radio
4. Axolotl Messiah
5. Dødo (Instrumental)
6. Apostasyn (Instrumental)
7. The White Noise From God’s Radio (Instrumental)
8. Axolotl Messiah (Instrumental)

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