Album Review: She Must Burn – Umbra Mortis (Grey Rock Music)

Carl Fisher 2 min read

London, England’s She Must Burn will release their highly-anticipated sophomore album, Umbra Mortis on October 14th, 2022 via Grey Rock Music.

About to make an almighty splash, after being forced to hold back on releasing this album because of the COVID-19 pandemic, She Must Burn have something darkly delightful to share with their listeners. An album of epic, symphonic death metal that strays beyond the genre boundaries of such a description.

They’re not an easy band to categorise as, at times they can be devilishly lavish and, at others, they are unrelentingly savage. Both sides of the band working in unison, resulting in an album that hits impressively hard. A lot of which can lay at the feet of the duel vocal performance. One, operatic and the other, guttural, and both impressive.

Though, they’re just part of the picture and there are plenty of classy guitar riffs, keyboard melodies and drum patterns to get excited about too.

Perhaps the most unexpected thing about Umbra Mortis is that it’s balanced towards being heavy and intense for the most part. The symphonic touches and melodies are part of the layers but the album is chockfull of furiously frantic death metal heaviness. She Must Burn wild and uncivilised but in an impressively controlled way. Across ten massive hits, they prove that they are something very special indeed.

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There are a lot of highlights throughout but ones that deserve to be mentioned are the likes of the chorus and guitar solo of The Rats in the Wall. A standout introduction to Umbra Mortis. Then there is the title track, one of the album’s most frenzied tracks, the heaviness balanced by the lavish operatic vocals. Or how about gothic tone of Misery Eternal, the poignant melody of A Truer Hell and the twisted carnival of horror that is Souls Asunder? Each and every one, a banger.

It’s worth the wait.

She Must Burn – Umbra Mortis Full Track Listing:

1. Nine
2. The Rats in the Walls
3. Of Blood and Bone
4. Umbra Mortis
5. Eulogy
6. Misery Eternal
7. A Truer Hell
8. Incantation
9. Souls Asunder
10. The Serpent




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Author

  • Owner/Administrator/Editor/Writer/Interviewer/YouTuber - you name it, I do it. I love gaming, horror movies, and all forms of heavy metal and rock. I'm also a Discworld super-fan and love talking all things Terry Pratchett. Do you wanna party? It's party time!

She Must Burn - Umbra Mortis (Grey Rock Music)
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