Release Date: July 22nd 2022. Record Label: Self Released. Format: DD/Vinyl
Only The Dead Know Our Secrets - Tracklisting
Magissa
Zion's Eyes
The Permanence Of Isolation
Only The Dead Know Our Secrets
Members
John Quin
Nikos Michas
Tony Gallegos
Christopher Burns
Review
Doom/Sludge Riffsters Mosara return with their second full length album Only The Dead Know Our Secrets which only enhances their bleak atmospheric sound even further. Mosara operate within the context of bleak based Atmospheric Doom/Sludge Metal with traces of dark FUZZ gravel attitude.The band do play elements of Stoner Metal and Fuzzed Out Rock on this album. Though, sometimes those parts are buried under a ton of Sludgy Amplifier based DOOM Reverb.
Opening song Magissa is an almost ten minute track with Mosara fusing Sabbath inspired down-tuned madness against the modern day riff wizardry of COUGH and Electric Wizard. The song has a certain PUNK and DIY flair with Mosara still remaining a gloomy and seedy Doom/Sludge Metal band. Production values aren't the best on this track with the vocals and certain grooves lacking volume on certain stages of the song. However, Mosara plays a stunning array of wicked instrumental grooves and the vocals do indeed KICK-ASS. When the soundbyte and psychedelic vibes appear then Mosara offers a seedy and sinister occult atmosphere on the track.
Second song Zion's Eyes opens with an acoustic instrumental passage that is wonderfully played and doesn't give any indication of the exciting doomed out direction that Mosara takes the listener upon. Distorted Psychedelic grooves have a Post-Doom and Post-Rock flavour that slowly build upto something more threatening and substantial. The song moves at a cautious pace with twinges of Psych Metal before that wonderfully distorted and down-tuned sounding appears. The clean vocals yet again are passionately aggressive with superb lyrics allowing Mosara to bring a demonic vibe to the album. The WEEDIAN element of the album is there to be heard but it's buried once again by that distorted feedback. The music is highly melodic in places even if Mosara plays their distorted sound with a chainsaw like effect. Ambient Post-Rock sounds appear bringing another wonderfully eerie style of music for listeners to fully get behind.
Third song The Permanence Of Isolation is the shortest track on the album running over five minutes in length. Strands of solitary Psychedelic Guitars open the song with a caustic approach from Mosara. The song is quite experimental with the different sounding guitars (I believe a Mandolin is being played here though not 100% sure) merging with Middle Eastern sounds. However, the song is mostly a Progressive Doom/Stoner Metal delight with gloomy vocal passages being sung further away compared to the excellent instrumental work.Aggressive lyrics combine with some of the best instrumental parts on the album.
The final song is Only The Dead Know Our Secrets where Mosara goes all out by fusing the many different styles of music already heard on the album. The standout track of the album with Mosara becoming more Doom/Sludge focused with the Stoner sounds being kept to a minimum for the first half of the song. Loud levels of distorted guitars slowly build up a rhythm of that LOW & SLOW attitude that is quite popular nowadays with bands such as Mosara. This song hits a long and drawn out steady rhythm before moving into heavier areas of GLOOMY based WEEDIAN pastures. Vocals are pitch-perfect even with the DIY Production values contained on this track. Mosara play to their creative strengths on this track and play the heaviest, finest and filthiest grooves on the entire album.
Only The Dead Know Our Secrets is a bleak, intense and highly captivating vision of modern day Atmospheric Doom/Sludge/Stoner Metal that can be unrelenting in places but will leave you ultimately fulfilled and emotionally satisfied.
Excellent and Highly Recommended.
Words by Steve Howe
Thanks to C Squared Music for the promo
Only The Dead Know Our Secrets will be available to buy on DD/Vinyl from July 22nd 2022.
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