Slowly but surely, the Irish metal scene is becoming something that we cannot deny. It may be small and far from a big player in the grand scheme of the underground, but there is clear power and talent around every corner should you simply get your hands dirty to uncover those secrets with there always being something fascinating to discover. This year has already been quite a boon for the Irish with names like Abaddon Incarnate and Coscradh being just two notable names to come from Ireland that have done its scene justice, and now it’s from the likes of Sonus Mortis that a proper cap for Irish metal in 2022 has come around with this offering just as scathing, tasteful, and undeniable as we could ask for from such a promising realm.
Far from a newcomer to the scene, Sonus Mortis is a name that has proven its worth many times over but has remained a creature strictly of the underground after coming into existence nine years ago to then proceed and deliver five full-length albums since that entry. However, it is with the sixth offering of Sonus Mortis that I’ve come around to discovering the name, and it’s simply one of those albums that forces me to lose myself in it as well as all that it has come before it strictly because of the quality on display here. For all that “Collapse the Mountain” brings to the table, it compels me to my core to find out what has happened that has led to such a release for not only is this a massive slab of death metal that is undeniable in virtually every quality, it is nigh on engrossing and intoxicating to the touch! Taking more than a few cues from the world of black metal and even involving choice symphonic elements that really bolster the already-powerful death metal at work here, “Collapse the Mountain” quickly becomes a massive creation whose presence cannot be tuned out nor turned away from. It’s the kind of material that makes the Irish metal scene a treat for those who seek through its depths with the very name of Sonus Mortis traveling down the same sort of path that Dødsferd carved for itself in Greece over the past decades with there being more than even potential, time, and passion at work here for Sonus Mortis to achieve the very same fate.
Six albums in nine years is a hell of an accomplishment for any band to boast, and it’s clear that time has been quite kind to the single man behind the name of Sonus Mortis whose hard work and dedication to his craft led him to grand victory with this release with the future truly his for the taking! “Collapse the Mountain” is a staggering piece from beginning to end with all that it has to offer to deliver excellence in maximum capacity, yet I can’t help but feel as though this is just the tip of the spear of the offensive that Sonus Mortis has been launching for years with previous releases speaking to the talent at work here with future excursions surely mastery that I hope not to miss.
LISTEN to “Collapse the Mountain” on Bandcamp here.
LIKE Sonus Mortis on Facebook here.
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