Friday, July 13, 2018

Full Length Review: MORS OMNIBUS Circus Verses (Nine Gates Records) by Dave Wolff

Place of origin: New York, USA
Genre: Ambient, experimental, horror soundtrack
Release date: July 9, 2018
Jamie Regadas reviewed a promo sampler of Circus Verses in December of last year, when its development was in its early stages. Even six months before its official release he was receptive enough to get an impression he could describe in detail. Regadas reflected on the feelings Mors Omnibus evoked in the five tracks included on the sampler, referring to them as “detached, disassociated and withdrawn”, and “designed to accompany a contemporary independent psychological-thriller.” His observations were spot on when it comes to the empty oneness embodied by those tracks and the full length that was finally granted the light of day this month. Listening to the soundscapes this project created in a full album context gives you a wider perspective on its intended statement. Circus Verses supports the position that reclusion and detachment make for disquieting music with lasting effects. Schizophrenic and consuming, it illustrates the psychological makeup of the villain in a horror film, on a level similar to the early releases of Mortiis and Vond, Mortician’s Chainsaw Dismemberment and Sigh’s Hail Horror Hail. It leans toward surreal supernatural thrillers like Season Of The Witch (1972), Suspiria (1977) and Martin (1978), and atmosphere-wise can be identified with older movies like Carnival Of Souls (1962) and Black Sabbath (1963). The more you’re into 60s and 70s horror cinema, the more you’re liable to recollect a feature that stood out when you saw it. Rather than place you in those movies, it speaks from the perspective of the psychotic, the demon, or what have you watching your victim from the shadows until the moment comes. The songs really put across what’s going on inside the villain’s mind, and there are many villains to choose from as each track has its own atmosphere. It’s as if you’re watching a series of film shorts, all with a less than uplifting conclusion. These perspectives increase the sense of impending doom, making the material imposing and creepy. This is one release that will darken your summer, especially if you have the gumption to experience it from beginning to end. -Dave Wolff

Lineup:
V: All instruments

Track list:
1. Circus Verses
2. Theatre Bizarre
3. Shadow Webs
4. Dead Man's Eyes
5. Premature Burial
6. Sleep Experiment
7. Nightmare City
8. Old Omens
9. Sante Sangre
10. The Magic Show
11. Harlequin
12. Caligari
13. Naturum De Montum
14. Malatesta
15. Pale Luna
16. kLoWn
17. The Void

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