Boston sludge and doom band Morne are playing two special shows this week, opening for Tribulation and Black Anvil in Brooklyn and their hometown of Boston. The band is supporting their recently released new album To The Night Unknown, released via Armageddon Records. Future tour dates are being lined up and will be announced soon. You can stream the full album below.Continue reading
In 2011 Boston quartet Morne tore up the Atmospheric Doom template with sophomore album Asylum (Profound Lore): a dark, brooding masterpiece with strong Crust influences, it garnered favourable comparisons with the likes of Neurosis and Agrimonia whilst acknowledging their own identity. Fourth studio album To the Night Unknown (Armageddon/MORNE) is the band’s first recorded output for five years, and it kicks in with fizzing tension. Continue reading
Boston sludge/doom band Morne are swiftly approaching the release of their new album, To The Night Unknown on September 7th via the Armageddon Label. The band has shared a new single today, ‘Scorn’ which you can jam out to on the link below.Continue reading
Boston doom band Morne has announced their new album, To The Night Unknown, due out on September 7th via Armageddon/Morne Records. Stream the title track right now at the link below.Continue reading
Before you sink your teeth into this, let me make a quick disclaimer for those of you looking for a standard review. This ain’t it. If you want to read, ad nauseam, about each band that played, who was good, who wasn’t, what songs they played or how many bands are “female fronted,” have female members or where any of these bands are from I can guarantee you a quick internet search will get you your fix somewhere. If you are looking for someone to tell you what any of the bands sound like, look like or act like then here is a novel idea, buy their music, go to a show and form an opinion for yourself. No offense intended to anyone writing something like that or looking for that kind of thing but you won’t find it here because I don’t feel like writing something everyone else has or will. (Offense intended to anyone still finding some ridiculous need to write or read about bands being “female fronted.” Fuck off.)
Oh, also there will be naughty words.Continue reading
Psycho Las Vegas 2017 will be taking place from August 18th-20th at the Hard Rock Hotel And Casino Las Vegas in Las Vegas, Nevada. The initial lineup seemed to feature every band ever, but now they’ve added Mastodon as the final headliner, and it’s officially one of the sickest bills ever created. Continue reading
New England’s doom and sludge maestros Morne have announced the 4th edition of their annual concert series Coming Of Winter for December 9th, at the Middle East. Joining them will be KYOTY, Phantom Glue, and Chrome Over Brass. Continue reading
December in New England is a special time. The beautiful autumn colors have fallen to rust and the desperate preparation for the inevitable burial under literal feet of snow in the coming months is at the forefront of our residents minds. Seasonally, it is truly the calm before the storm. The time just before nature cleanses itself with decay so it can be reborn in spring. This December will also mark the third annual show during this time from one of our heaviest bands, Morne. Specifically, December 12, 2015, at Great Scott in Allston, MA. The show is aptly named, “The Coming of Winter”.
Morne plays locally only about twice a year and The Coming of Winter has become a sort of call to the crowds to come out and celebrate the upcoming new year. It’s also a chance for the band to book their own show with bands they want to play with. For Morne, it isn’t simply a show with bands that you have seen a thousand times. I got a chance to ask founding band members, singer/guitarist Milosz Gassan, and bassist Max Furst, why they put this on every December and what it is that makes the show important to them.
“I want it to become a thing that I’d like to go to. Something that isn’t just another show that happens every other weekend with the same 10 bands…” explained Gassan. “Something that brings recognition to music and art done without rushing, trying to ‘make it.’ I see it as a special night for us. It’s an event that brings some sort of fulfilling emotion. We aren’t set to play one hometown show a year but we like to keep it to a minimum which makes every show a special event for us and not make us a ‘house band.’ I don’t feel any reason or need to play every show we can. I think that is what makes me approach it with some special feeling. We do tours where we play 30-40 shows night after night but that is something different. You play every night in a different town, different venue. Playing often in your own hometown brings a routine to it and you start to feel numb. I think some people feel this way about the same local bands playing every other week, getting on every opening slot for touring bands. I just don’t like when local bands play too often. It takes away the special aspect of it.”
“Booking our own show gives us the ability to select where we play and who we play with. The Coming of Winter is a chance for us to gather with our friends in our hometown and share the stage with some local bands we respect and enjoy.” commented Furst. “This will be the third year we have organized a gig of these sorts, but since it’s become somewhat of a tradition we have decided to give it a formal name and identity. The past two years have proven to be a success so we’re hoping to keep it rolling. Hopefully it will grow in time.”
With all the things you have to do in December, whether it be shopping, spending time with family and friends or simply reflecting upon the past year, The Coming of Winter is something worth penciling into your schedule. I asked Milosz what was special to him about the show being held in December and why they have chosen that month for these shows. “Well, I think fall/winter in general is better for heavy music. I think people are more focused then too, I am. It’s right when seasons change.”
WORDS AND PHOTO BY HILLARIE JASON
Did you ever go to a show and know right off the bat that it was one for the record books? Well on Friday December 12th at the Middle East Nightclub in Cambridge, there was such a show, and this one makes it into my top 5 out of about 60 for the entire year of 2014. Why? Because it had some of the best bands New England has to offer on the bill coupled with one of the most amazing atmospheres, crowd wise, I have seen in a while.
I always know it’s December in New England when Morne plays a show in the Boston area. A band that keeps it’s local show appearances to about one a year won’t ever be blamed for over saturating the local scene, not that I know anyone who would complain if they were to add a show or two each year. Stacked to the gills with local heavyweights Churchburn and Obsidian Tongue plus a solid new comer, SEA, opening up the nights musical assault, I knew there would be no complaints about the music on this night.
Unfortunately I missed most of SEA’s set but what I caught was really good. Take heavy, slow doom and mix it with part melodic, part chugging riffs. At least that’s what I took away from the 2 songs I got to hear. It was enough for me to be interested in the band and what they do in the months ahead. Hopefully there will be some sort of recording to come from them in the near future.
Next up was the Massachusetts black metal outfit, Obsidian Tongue, recently off a stint with Agalloch where they played on 6 of the North American tour dates. This band has grown so much in the past few years and now is a serious force to be reckoned with on stage. How exactly they are able to create such a full sound being a two piece, I have never understood but watching this band mature over the past 4 or so years has been a sheer pleasure and they are definitely one of my favorite local bands.
Churchburn hit the stage and began the set with their song ‘V,’ showcasing their take on unrelenting black/death/doom. I have seen this band more than a few times and have not been disappointed once. When Dave Suzuki gets to the mic it’s almost as if instead of opening his mouth, his face actually splits open (like it’s on a damn hinged cantilever or something) and spews raw venom at the audience. One of these days I think he might bust a vessel or something. Absolutely powerful performance from a really devastating band out of Providence. They are solid front to back and definitely not a band to miss.
By the time Morne started their set, the place was sold out and started to get a bit steamy. Sneaking a peek at the setlist got me excited for what was to come as it was filled with a combination of songs from all three full length albums. First song was the opening track off the newest release, Shadows, called “Coming of Winter” which was appropriate on many levels. The newest member of the band, Paul Rajpal, seems to be a superb fit to the band and gels very well. The dual nature of Milosz Gassans vocal style, filled with emotion, always reminds me of a dark and painful form of Tuvan throat singing. If you listen carefully you might understand what I mean. As they blasted through the 8 song set, the entire crowd was rapt with their performance, and for good reason. This was one of the most powerful performances I have seen them play to date, which is saying a lot since I have never seen them be anything but top notch. The band just plain crushes, I have no idea how else to put it but this time they leveled the place.
This show proved just how strong and vibrant the underground metal scene(or whatever the hell you want to call it) is here in New England.
I highly recommend checking out all of these bands if you haven’t already done so. They do not disappoint!
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WORDS AND PHOTOS BY HILLARIE JASON
