Album Review: Morass of Molasses – These Paths We Tread (HeviSike)

Self-described ‘swamp master generals’ Morass Of Molasses will release their new album These Paths We Tread on May 19th 2017 via HeviSike Records.

The hard rocking, sludgy sound of My Leviathan makes an instant impact on the mind. The song is sultry in its style, riffs being played in such a way as if to encourage you to do bad things. It’s all helped by a mix of vocal styles, one soft & welcoming while the other wouldn’t sound out of place in a death metal band.

A very good opener with a catchy beat helped by a moody sounding bass & hard-hitting drums.

It’s hard to put this album into one single genre of music as it draws from many different areas. It’s as much a rock album as it is a metal album but isn’t afraid to mix things up on occasion.These Paths We Tread has bundles of imagination, plenty of ideas & they work fantastically.

So They Walk’s upbeat toe-curling riff is a hell of a surprise, a catchy sound that lasts just long enough to not become boring. The way in which the title is spat out in the chorus with some venom is pretty awesome.

The sludge returns for Serpentine, a nice slow wander through a swamp with a killer drum beat backing up every foot-sucking step. Arguably the best song on the album thanks to the absolutely belting riffs & perfect accompaniment of soft & heavy vocals.

The more These Paths We Tread goes on, the more it becomes clear that you’re hearing one of the finest albums of 2017. It’s strength lies in not just a great doom/sludge sound but the catchiness of the riffs, hooks & stellar vocal work.

That we also get these brief guitar solo flurries just sweetens the deal as found in the moody sounding Centralia. The penultimate track, Maenads continues to layer the dark & filthy sound on thick. It’s a listening experience that draws a lot parallels with other bands within these genres but also has a uniqueness that isn’t often found.

These Paths We Tread wraps up with an absolute smashing finish. Wrath of Aphrodite combines a fast beat with great bass hooks. It then delves deeply in the well of sludge & dropping the best guitar solo of the entire album. A fantastic finish to an utterly stunning album.

The blending of genres means even if you’re not a big fan of doom/sludge metal you’ll easily find something to enjoy about this.

Morass of Molasses – These Paths We Tread Full Track Listing:

1. My Leviathan
2. So They Walk
3. Serpentine
4. The Ritual
5. Centralia
6. Maenads
7. Wrath of Aphrodite

You can pick up their music over on Bandcamp & find out much more about them on Facebook. Follow them on Twitter & subscribe to their YouTube channel here.