originally written by Chris McDonald
Apparently Mörser thinks that the best things come in twos; this obscure yet long-running German outfit features two vocalists, two guitarists, and even two bass players. (Just one drummer, though.) Such large line-ups typically denote some type of epic symphonic metal, but Mörser plays a seething death/grind hybrid, with animalistic vocals and a torrent of various riffing styles wrapped up into a surprisingly effective package.
1st Class Suicide is built around a swirling blast of technical death delivered with grindcore ferocity, with a dash of chaotic Converge-stye hardcore chest-thumping tossed in as well. Thunderous blastbeats and an ever-changing maze of serpentine, harmonic-laden riffs lay the foundation for the relentless high/low dynamics of vocalists Denny and Grabi, who storm around the backing tunes conversing in gruff bellows and psychotic screams. What’s most compelling about this album is the way Mörser is able to depict their meticulous, complex musical compositions in a manner that still feels chaotic and primal, with a dense but clear Wall-of-Sound production rendering the songs with inspiring levels of savage intensity.
Of course, a loud and imposing sound is only exciting if the songwriting is up to snuff, and Mörser delivers on this front as well. Beneath the bedlam on the surface, 1st Class Suicide is littered with infectious hooks and well-formulated dynamic shifts that keep the album engaging from start to finish. A subtle Gorguts influence can be felt in the some of the more spidery, meticulous riffs (“Small Weak Virus,” “Blind”), but the band sounds best when they’re charging ahead at full speed with their interesting mix of traditional death/grind and an almost melodic death metal sense of melody and timing – something akin to Rotten Sound crossed with At The Gates (“Synthetics For The Devil,” “Miserable Failure”). The band also occasionally dips into brief moments of heavy Meshuggah-esque battering and even some blackened tremolo menace, making for a listen that feels diverse but still thematically unified.
1st Class Suicide is a brief trip at around twenty-eight minutes, but the short length was a smart move in that it strengthens the impact of Mörser’s blistering songs without letting the album’s relentless pace become tiresome. Even at such a brief running time, this album can still feel like a blur on initial listens, but the band is perfectly capable of keeping pace with their ferocity well enough to make it convincing, and with a little time, Mörser’s songwriting formula proves to be surprisingly distinctive and catchy. Hopefully a positive response to this album will finally land this band the attention they deserve.
