MORTIIS
THE SMELL OF RAIN
EARACHE
LINKS:
mortiis.com
Norwegian act Mortiis, over a 10+ year career, has established himself as a pioneer of black metal (former bassist for Emperor) and a heavyweight in the experimental industrial/goth genre. His solo catalog, now at a respectable five studio albums, has won him legions of fans with complex cryptic ballads, centered around bleak electronic orchestras, accented by haunting choirs. However, Mortiis’ 5th studio album, The Smell of Rain, shifts away from this traditional sound in favor of shorter melodic, vocal-driven songs, Gregorian chants, jagged rock guitar riffs and dance beats. The result is a major disappointment.
The biggest weakness of this latest effort is Mortiis’ inability to establish his own musical identity, which given his reputation should not be difficult. But every one of The Smell of Rain’s nine tracks has the listener thinking of his influences -- Skinny Puppy, goth-titans Nine Inch Nails, Enigma and Depeche Mode to name a few -- rather than of Mortiis himself.

The first track “Scar Trek/Parasite God” starts off with a pre-Violator Depeche Mode-like guitar-synthesizer-laced beat then transitions into a 4/4 time signature reminiscent of Nine Inch Nail’s “Head Like A Hole”. The beat remains constant throughout the song except for the Gregorian chant chorus: ‘Parasite God’, which adds a quirky comic relief to an otherwise sterile song. In fact, the lyrics are the most entertaining aspect of the CD; the appeal is not driven by their emotional or socio-political substance, though -- as Mortiis may want his listeners to believe. Rather, it is the mix of Iron Maiden-esque comic-book horror and doom and gloom – which is becoming passé -- that captivates listeners.

The CD’s disconsolate lyricism can be heard no clearer than on the next track, “Flux/Mental Maelstrom.” Mortiis takes his listeners on a trip that is all too familiar in contemporary heavy music: a struggle for a peace or a complete separation from an un-identified problem. (Think Staind, koRn and Linkin Park). Yet, Mortiis’ lyrics lack the depth and sincerity to make his lamenting believable: The Cities that I Built/Got Stained By your Filth/You Stink!/Just!/ Like!/THE PIGS YOU ARE. “THE PIGS YOU ARE”? Sorry dude, Trent Reznor you are not. (Musically, the track sounds oddly like a mélange -- well-mixed, I will admit -- of “Head Like A Hole”, “Mr. Self-Destruct”, “Closer” and “Somewhat Damaged”.)

The most of the rest of The Smell of Rain follows the formula of the first two tracks. The fifth track, has a lighter, 1980s synth pop feel to it, but without Mortiis at the creative helm of this ship, one can not help thinking Dead or Alive’s “You Spin Me Around (Like a Record)”.

After listening to the last track, “Smell the Witch”, the listener feels no sense of completion, no climax; the song blends into the style of other tracks, making no attempt to let listeners know: ‘okay, this is the end of the CD’. It is probably The Smell of Rain’s best song, though. The electronic drum fills have been beefed up. The guitar-synthesizers have been tuned down for a heavier, gloomier sound. And the Gregorian chant chorus ties it all together to create a pulsating, haunting, Trance-like ambience. Ravers and goths will probably love it.

The Smell of Rain is a daring attempt at evolution. In a genre not always known for diversity, Mortiis tries to break the mold. But for such a talented musician, it is a shame he does not recast it more in his own image.

----Eric V. White