Customer Reviews

Liberation=Termination

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Finnish thrashers Mors Principium Est (Latin - death is the beginning) return with "Liberation = Termination", their follow-up to 2005's powerhouse "The Unborn". Upon first listen, it would appear that the band has taken an "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" approach (which is fine). After a few rotations, however, you can hear their sound evolving with this latest release. The record still contains the blasting drums, driving guitar and bass, ferocious screams, melodic keyboards, and industrial-esque interludes typical of their past albums. But this time around it seems they have replaced some of the crushing brutality for melody. More leading keys and harmonized guitars can be found on this record as well as beautiful instrumental segues hinting at European power metal. But don't be swayed. Tracks like, "The Oppressed Will Rise" and "It Is Done" show you that there's still PLENTY of speed and thrash to go around. While I have to say I prefer "The Unborn", this record is still a notable release and a fine addition to one's metal collection. All in all, a fine melodic death metal album.

How these guys aren't more popular I just don't understand! Simply put, this cd is completely amazing! If you are one of the many people out there that miss the good old days of In Flames and Soilwork, when they didn't write sing-a-longs, then this is exactly the cd you need to have!! Think all the catchiness of Clayman, the great melodies and guitar solos of The Chainheart Machine, and the epicness of Colony. Now make that 10 times faster and intense!! Yes, the guitar playing and drums on this cd are insanely fast! And not that this band is simply rehashing other bands. They definitely create their own style. They add the Gothenburg sound with almost Industrial style keyboards. There is a lot of keyboard elements on the cd, which only adds to the depth of the songs. Did I mention guitar solos? Now it is not the best guitar playing you will ever find, but it is pretty darn great and catchy. I live for twin leads! Most of the songs have twin lead solos, which make them sound that much more juicy! Finiality would be the best example of this! Album highlight is Sinner's Defeat! So if you are looking for some great melodic death, that surprisingly isn't from Sweden, then this is the best you'll find! I wish more bands were keeping with this style, instead of going in a more mainstream direction. Don't get me wrong, I do love Come Clarity by In Flames, but this style of the melo death genre is just so much better! Also check out Mors Principium Est's previous cd "The Unborn". Can't figure out if I like this one or The Unborn better, they're both amazing!

I was going to start off saying that I have no complaints about this album, but I suppose that's not entirely true. I did notice, for instance, that there are a few typos in the lyric booklet. That said, the music is above reproach in my eyes. While perhaps not the deepest album ever created, the music is heavy and catchy, it doesn't get lost in its desire to be metal, and every song offers something to the listener (as opposed to some songs just being filler).

If you like Lamb of God or Chimaira, you will like Mors Principium Est. If you like Cradle of Filth and Dimmu Borgir, you have a good chance of liking Mors Principium Est.

Mors Principium Est is truly awe-inspiring, worth listening to over and over again. Taking influence from bands before them, such as Children of Bodom and Dark Tranquillity, Mors Principium also tends to borrow other genre's sounds and throws them into the mix to create a truly original sound that perhaps only Callenish Circle is capable of matching.

Using techno-drive beats that utilize high levels of synthesizers and electronic keyboards, Mors Principium Est creates a sound that has only been touched on by their Melodic Death Metal competitor Callenish Circle with their mixture of electronics and heavy metal. Mors Principium Est's first album was more true to the traditional sound of Melodeath, and sounded a lot like a Dark Tranquillity album. The track "Into Illusion" off of Mors' debut album "Inhumanity" sounds a lot like the gothical style that Dark Tranquillity used on their track "Misery's Crown". However, on "Liberation=Termination", the band steps away from the tried and true methods of traditional Melodic Death Metal in order to create something new and truly unique.

The album begins with a very industrial sounding introductory track that uses synth and electronics to produce a very "robotic" and "dark" feeling intro that perfectly blends into "The Oppressed Will Rise". This track is more traditional sounding, using customary guitar work, and Ville Viljanen uses a new style of screaming that he first displayed on their album "The Unborn". His screams range between more raspy growls, to higher pitched squeals. While on "Inhumanity" he really only utilized one style of screaming, the higher pitched growls used by bands like Children of Bodom. However, on this album, Ville Viljanen sounds more like bands such as Ensiferum, a major plus.

The truly standout tracks on "Liberation=Termination" are those that utilize a high level of electronics in their instrumental work. Tracks like "The Animal Within" (which begins with a very eerie, almost Arabic sounding electronic interlude), as well as "Cleansing Rain", are simply a perfect blend of electronics, drumming, and guitar riffs to truly amaze anyone who's interested in Melodic Death Metal. Coupled with a few great instrumental tracks: "Forgotten" and "Lost Beyond Retrieval", Mors Principium Est showcases some of their best instrument work of their career.

"The Distance Between" is one of the most melodic tracks on the album, slowing things down a little bit, while still maintaining a very nice tempo, great rhythm, all while increasing the overall melody of the song structure. It may not be as melodic as the track "Into Illusion" off of their debut album, but it stands to be one of the best sounding tracks produced within the Melodic Death Metal genre.

Overall, "Liberation=Termination" is a great sounding album that utilizes great guitar work, stunning drum patterns, and amazing (yet creepy) sounding electronics that can be found on several tracks throughout the album: "Terminal Liberation" and "The Animal Within" are the two best examples. Mors Principium Est's first album stayed too true to the sound of bands that came before them, such as Children of Bodom and Dark Tranquillity, but with their second album "The Unborn" they tried to create a unique sound for themselves. Well, with their third album "Liberation=Termination", the band managed to build upon the unique style they had set up in "The Unborn" while expanding it to truly make Mors Principium Est sound like nothing you've ever heard before.

This cd is the best that MPE released..excellent production..inmense vocals and awesome guitar riffs...good stuff

Mors Principium Est (which roughly translates to "death is the beginning") are a great melodic death metal group from Finland. After releasing their two previous and excellent albums Inhumanity and The Unborn, they release yet another great record. Liberation = Termination sees these Finish thrashers experimenting with their sound even further and trying to push their boundaries, the good thing about this group is that they have never sounded dull or stale as each of their albums sounds different. The techno and female chant laced The Animal Within and Sinners Defeat are a good example of what this group is capable of, those two songs were also some of my favorites on this album along with Termination, the melody in Finality and the staccato drumming in Cleansing Rain were absolutely terrific. The speed also breaks down towards the second half of the album and the song The Distance Between allows the synths to explore a few more corners. The technical ability of the musicians along with the ultra precise thundering of the drums and the unmatched riff-fest and even the slight experimentation with electronics, all added up to make it almost unsurpassed by any other melodic death metal group, but the slight problem that I have with this album was the vocals which sound slightly generic but it's not really that bad. What you get with this album is a collection of very tight, fast paced and melodic death metal songs which are very memorable. If you like melodic death/thrash metal groups like Children Of Bodom or Soilwork then you'll definitely love this.

this album is amazing from start to finish. MPE continue the sound they have been makeing for themselves on their past 2 albums before this one. (wich i also highley recommend) this band is just awesome. great guitar playing between bolth guitars. and amazing drums and keyboard playing!. everything is top notch. fans of older in flames, soilwork, and edge of sanity will love this album. this album seems to take on a more technical approach than the other 2. but its still catchy as hell!

best technical melodic death metal in years.

I was first shocked when I listened to this band. It combines the speed of the swedish melodic death metal and the apocalyptic keyboards and atmpospheres of industrial metal. They also add different touches, such as female vocals in choruses and arrangements. Some kind of AT THE GATES meets STRAPPING YOUNG LAD thing...Fast, furious, melodic sometimes...It's the kind of band I like.

Eventhough the album gets a little repetitive in some passages, it's a great record. I'm aware that there were significant line up changes since their previous album "The Unborn". But that didn't affect their music at all. I think LIBERATION=TERMINATION is more...simple in general. The songs are shorter and straight to the point...

The sound is impeccable...With guitars, drums, vocals and keyboards at the same time that fortunately, that don't make a noise ball..

The only thing that left me thinking was the album length: 11 songs, with only 8 being full songs that barely pass the 30 minutes barrier...

Anyways, a great album in times of abundance and mediocrity...

Some of the technical metal bands anymore think that dynamic means that the music is constantly complex, but complication gets repetative to a listener. This band would be much better with a few slower riffs or... just anything different. From a musicianship standpoint, however, this is amazing.