While “The Grudge” is no radical departure from the layered industrial, dark ambient sound Mortiis has been steadily working on from the very beginning of his solo career, there is a marked, if somewhat intangible, shift away from his previous release, “Smell of Rain”. The beats hit harder and more furiously on more of the tracks, the guitars are more distorted, the vocals remain majestic and near-spoken at times, but can also be full of icy, metal-fuelled rage.

The supporting female vocals of Sarah Jezebel Deva, which provided the softening touch to Mortiis’ previous record (and made you slightly ashamed to play it in front of your black-clad friends) are played down to suit and complement the industrial mood of the record, rather than break it up and distort the direction. For the most part, these are good changes on the part of Mortiis, even though I find myself yearning for just one last hit on par with the likes of “Parasite God”, but no mind - this is still a solid album, building on past recording glories and crafted with all the care of a true Norwegian goblin eccentric.

Year Released: 2004
Label: Earache Records
Related Link: Mortiis Official Site
Date Reviewed: 2004-09-21
Author: Andreas