{"id":585813,"date":"2026-04-04T22:15:09","date_gmt":"2026-04-04T22:15:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/585813\/"},"modified":"2026-04-04T22:15:09","modified_gmt":"2026-04-04T22:15:09","slug":"review-marlugubre-per-amor-nymphae","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/585813\/","title":{"rendered":"Review: Marlugubre – Per Amor Nymphae"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Published by Andy<\/a> on 2026\/04\/042026\/04\/04<\/p>\n

\"\"Artwork by: Karl Spitzweg<\/p>\n

Style: Progressive death metal, progressive black metal (Mixed vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Opeth, Be\u2019Lakor, Green Carnation<\/a>, Enslaved
Country: Italy
Release date: 27 February 2026<\/p>\n

My peers tell me that one of the great aspects of music is that it\u2019s subjective; composer and multi-instrumentalist Tiziano Colella of Marlugubre doesn\u2019t think so. My fifth ever review<\/a> for the Subway was of the previous Marlugubre record, Maladie, and Colella left a salty comment, in which he said: \u201cyou find me not agreeing at all with the whole analysis of the review,\u201d along with a remark that although he was open to negative reviews, he still thought I should \u201calso try to get right what you write, to me here it sounded like the opposite.\u201d It makes you wonder: if he didn\u2019t agree with my kindly worded 5\/10, what type of non-glowing review would he accept? I sincerely hope that in 2026, with 230 more reviews under my belt, that I have finally figured out what it takes for Colella to think I get right what I write.<\/p>\n

In the previous four years, Marlugubre haven\u2019t evolved their sound too much, still playing a comfortable, familiar Opethian style of prog death, interspersed with a post-black metal flair to add atmosphere and melancholia. For the most part, Marlugubre\u2019s simple formula of classic prog death juxtaposition works\u2014dramatic blast beat- and tremolo pick-laden extreme metal, followed by moments of serene calm\u2014 just like it has for many a prog death band before them. Many of the riffs in the extreme sections of Per Amor Nymphae are a bit nebulous\u2014lacking a strong melody or rhythmic structure in favor of loosely strung together distorted notes\u2014but when Colella actually throws together cohesive melodies with a true lead guitar tone, the record reaches its peaks. For instance, near the beginning of \u201cLips Scented Spring Roses,\u201d the lead guitar flutters in before being blown away by a stormy black metal section, complementing the blast beats in a satisfying, Iapetus-like way. The instrumentation used throughout Per Amor Nymphae is guitar focused for the most part, switching up permutations of a trio of distorted metal guitar, clean electric guitar, and acoustic guitar. This does the job, but it does make the rare passages where other instruments are highlighted some of the strongest on the album. Some transitions feature a dreamy cello swim into the mix, in order to bridge the heavy and light sections, such as on \u201cBeloved Scylla\u201d and \u201cLips Scented Spring Roses.\u201d And \u201cUndine on a Lake Garden\u201d ends with a shocking bass solo\u2014I couldn\u2019t actively recall a single bass part alerting the listener of its presence across the rest of the album if you held me at gunpoint.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

The production on Per Amor Nymphae is capacious and yet oddly hollow, in large part contributing to what makes the riffs so amorphous. Marlugubre have created a vast sonic palette by creatively building up the atmospheres, but there\u2019s so much space in the mix with the record being so guitar-centric, that there\u2019s not enough instrumentation to really fill said capacity. All together, this leaves some sonic negative space that Marlugubre would benefit from filling\u2014the record needn\u2019t be maximalist, but something is missing texturally. At times, thankfully, the hollow production acts as a great strength for Per Amor Nymphae, and particularly as a narrative tool for the album\u2019s storytelling. As the title literally translates to \u201cthrough the love of the nymph,\u201d Marlugubre explore several classical stories of these mythical nature goddesses, ranging from Eurydice to Scylla. In the calmer sections, the production can create a sense of detachment that feels hauntingly beautiful, almost nostalgic, just like the concept of an ephemeral forest spirit itself. \u201cUndine on a Lake Garden\u201d is a particularly good example of the ethereal beauty that Marlugubre can sometimes achieve.<\/p>\n

The final aspect of Per Amore Nymphae\u2019s sound is new fulltime vocalist, Serena de Angelis, whose delicate singing portrays the nymphs throughout the record, whether as angelic backing vocals to Colella\u2019s harshes, or as a more predominant lead woman. Regrettably, her tone is too nasal, and she sings quite timidly\u2014I know she imitates the dainty nymph, but more power would work well to match the divine energy. So while her voice could go a long way in solving the \u201calbum feels a little empty\u201d problem on a future release, her seeming reluctance to fill the space with her voice doesn\u2019t save Per Amor Nymphae.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Finding Marlugubre plagued by many of the same issues as last time, even after all these reviews over several years, is deeply ironic. I wanted to lather on praise to Per Amor Nymphae to make amends because I genuinely do want the bands I cover to succeed in progressive metal\u2019s small niche. But I was hoping to see Marlugubre work out the kinks of Maladie more\u2014hoping that they\u2019d find a bit more of their own voice rather than writing decent Opethian prog death, not outstanding enough to differentiate itself except through an occasionally beautiful atmosphere. Marlugubre should take into account some of my critiques next time. Or, just maybe, I\u2019ll never get right what I write.<\/p>\n

Recommended tracks: Lips Scented Spring Roses, Undine on a Lake Garden, Iphigenia
You may also like: Serein<\/a>, Phendrana<\/a>, Piah Mater<\/a>, Iapetus<\/a>, Aquilus<\/a>
Final verdict: 6\/10<\/p>\n

Related links: Bandcamp<\/a> | Facebook<\/a> | Instagram<\/a><\/p>\n

Label: Dusktone<\/a><\/p>\n

Marlugubre is:
\u2013 Tiziano Colella (everything)
\u2013 Serena de Angelis (vocals)<\/p>\n

\n\tRelated\n<\/p>\n