Album Review: Minas Morgul – Nebelung (Trollzorn)

After a quarter of a century and seven albums, black metal band Minas Morgul have arrived at the core of their artistic identity with their eighth opus, Nebelung. Out on June 2nd, 2023 via Trollzorn Records.

Emerging from the darkness with wicked, old-school rawness, and the chill of forgotten times, it’s Minas Morgul and they have such sounds to show us. This far into their careers, they continue to push the boundaries of black metal and deliver a nine-track example of bleak horror.

With a blend of watery, windy atmosphere, and a sombre violin melody, Minas Morgul take their time introducing this new album with the opener Beginn. No complaints though as it really encapsulates the misery that will be so rampant throughout the album. Well, that and the sound of harsh and heavy black metal, which arrives straight out of hell with the title track.

Yet, for all the roughness in the instrumentation and vocals, Minas Morgul smooth out the edges with wandering melodies and cautiously coated ambience. It makes for a deeper, more connective, and memorable experience. Tracks like Trümmer, Ritual, Inter Stellas, Morast, Wolfskind, and Aufbruch are compelling, exciting, interesting, depressive, devilish, and unyieldingly black metal.

So additive is Nebelung, that the haunting heaviness and gloomy tone of the finale, Lethargie, is emotional for the fact that it is the last track on the album. Minas Morgul has once again shown that they are truly untouchable in this genre, and that they are constantly looking forward instead of backwards.

Minas Morgul – Nebelung Track Listing:

1. Beginn
2. Nebelung
3. Trümmer
4. Ritual
5. Inter Stellas
6. Morast
7. Wolfskind
8. Aufbruch
9. Lethargie

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