{"id":155624,"date":"2025-11-23T15:57:08","date_gmt":"2025-11-23T15:57:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/155624\/"},"modified":"2025-11-23T15:57:08","modified_gmt":"2025-11-23T15:57:08","slug":"morbikon-lost-within-the-astral-crypts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/155624\/","title":{"rendered":"Morbikon – Lost Within the Astral Crypts"},"content":{"rendered":"

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When he\u2019s not dealing in the Slime and Punishment of Municipal Waste or pissing off the neighbors with Iron Reagan, axe-wielder Phil \u201cLandphil\u201d Hall channels his focus into Morbikon. Formed in 2020, Hall\u2019s black metal side-project earned recognition from AMG Industries when Ferox highlighted the supergroup\u2019s debut, Ov Mournful Twilight<\/a>, as his surprise record of 2022. Rooted in all things kvlt and trve, the album\u2019s second wave frostbitten anthems plunged into the remnants of burned churches and stale corpse paint, resulting in \u201ceight meloblack rippers calibrated to bring winter to your soul and whiplash to your neck.\u201d Now, Morbikon\u2019s sophomore LP finds Hall honing his homage to the black arts, promising to descend his creation into a deeper, more sepulchral state. Ignite your torch and prepare the Necronomicon\u2014it\u2019s time to get Lost Within the Astral Crypts.<\/p>\n

Lost Within the Astral Crypts forges the scorched spirit of Ov Mournful Twilight into a leaner, more technical and overwhelmingly black entity. Drawing on the lineup\u2019s pedigree, Morbikon\u2019s collective talent coalesces into an authoritative, and at times downright impressive, synthesis of 90s-influenced blackened thrash. Vocalist Mathias \u201cVreth\u201d Lillm\u00e5ns (Finntroll, \u2026And Oceans) returns with his characteristic throat-ripping vocals, as furious down-picked riffs and swarming, lightning-quick tremolodic scales consistently anchor the material firmly in the black. Complementing Hall\u2019s stylish fretwork, drummer Pierce Williams (\u00c6nigmatum, ex-Skeletal Remains)\u2014who replaces Dave Witte\u2014adds raw, destructive rhythms with tight rolls and syncopations that are both refreshing and sophisticated. Tracks like \u201cUnending Legions of Baal,\u201d \u201cMasters of Eternal Night\u201d and \u201cFlames that Bind and Shadows Cast\u201d evoke a full-on black metal assault reminiscent of Satyricon or Emperor, complete with pounding double bass and subtle synths, while \u201cGhoul Infested Mausoleum\u201d and \u201cHeavens that Burn and Eons Divided\u201d push the envelope with airy Wintersun melodicism peppered with thrash savagery.<\/p>\n

Lost Within the Astral Crypts by Morbikon<\/a><\/p>\n

The necrotic might of Lost Within the Astral Crypts rests in Morbikon\u2019s technical excellence, elevating the album\u2019s eight tracks beyond the seminal Scandinavian sound. Worshipping at the altar of the almighty riff, Hall and company immediately demonstrate their capabilities on \u201cHeavens that Burn and Eons Divided\u201d\u2014an energetic, fun and melodic banger driven by a potent layered tremolo attack, fantasy-toned leads and Williams\u2019 tomb-raiding blasts that promptly underscore Morbikon\u2019s technical ambition. \u201cGhoul Infested Mausoleum\u201d features the record\u2019s best tremolo riff: a spectral high\/low scale progression imbued with nocturnal gravity, bolstered by Williams\u2019 accented beats and Lillm\u00e5ns\u2019 gnarly shrieks. Shreddy, virtuosic solos on the title track, \u201cFlames that Bind and Shadows Cast\u201d and \u201cNumeric Portal Ascendency\u201d push Lost Within the Astral Crypts past the point of a stereotypical tremolo-fest, while strategic thrash and death explorations (such as the opening passage of \u201cFlames that Bind and Shadows Cast\u201d) help maintain listener interest before regrounding the album\u2019s dark, aggressive roots.<\/p>\n

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Given Morbikon\u2019s stellar execution and the album\u2019s efficient 43-minute runtime\u2014with little bloat to be found\u2014any criticism must instead focus on Lost Within the Astral Crypts\u2019 songwriting. \u201cMasters of Eternal Night\u201d is a serviceable track, but often clings too tightly to classic Scandinavian conventions (even adopting a familiar Mayhem-like conclusion), rendering it less engaging than the album\u2019s superior cuts. \u201cSworn to the Beheaded King\u201d briefly adopts a more aggressive, in-your-face death metal spirit at its midpoint, including a tasteful guitar solo. Yet, these highlights can\u2019t mask the track\u2019s conventionality as it quickly retreats to familiar black metal terrain. Although the monolithic presence of Lost Within the Astral Crypts occasionally falters in favor of genre conventions, stagnant sections (\u201cGhoul Infested Mausoleum,\u201d \u201cFlames that Bind and Shadows Cast\u201d) and even some superfluous wankery (\u201cLost Within the Astral Crypts\u201d), the underlying songwriting remains solid, with engaging riffs and hooks that are strong enough to largely sustain the album\u2019s momentum.<\/p>\n

Lost Within the Astral Crypts is a worthy reinvention of a well-trodden sound. While the album is certainly not groundbreaking\u2014nor is it trying to be\u2014it demonstrates top-notch musical dexterity and delivers exceptionally well-executed material that is aggressive, dark and steeped in 90s nostalgia. At its weakest, Lost Within the Astral Crypts serves as a grim invitation to exhume those second-wave classics from your collection; at its strongest, it stands as a fun, rock-solid blackened thrash record that advances and validates Hall\u2019s creative vision, confirming Morbikon\u2019s vast potential.<\/p>\n

Rating: Good
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb\/s mp3
Label: Tankcrimes<\/a>
Websites: instagram.com\/morbikon<\/a> | facebook.com\/morbikon<\/a>
Releases Worldwide: November 21st, 2025<\/p>\n

\n\tGive in to Your Anger:\n<\/p>\n