Mortal Disguise forge death, thrash, and progressive metal with precision and power on their debut album Abstract Dimensions. They have crafted an album with memorable riffs that harken back to the music of the legendary Death, Destruction, and even a bit of Forbidden. Prepare the metal horns and let’s dig in.
Abstract Dimensions is an intriguing and fitting title for the debut album from Mortal Disguise. This title sets the stage for ideas that are boundless and formless. Upon listening to the music, this title captures Mortal Disguise’s use of a myriad of metal ideas to create their own dimension within the metal world.
Mortal Disguise hails from the Detroit area with their secret lair of alchemy located in Hamtramck. While the band just formed in 2019, the members (Steve – drum, Rick – guitar, Arron – guitar, Jay – bass, Stephen – vocals) are veterans of the Detroit metal, doom, and hard rock scenes. Their combined experience contributes to the quality of the songwriting on this album.
Abstract Dimensions opens with an eerie and disquieting acoustic piece called “Hagazussa” which is German for a witch. From this song, a foreboding shadow is cast. “Future Corpse” exposes the technical thrash and death elements. The initial chugging riffs give way to a topsy turvy progression that creates a sense of spiraling out of control. The song continues to build tension before leading a full-on charge.
A favorite on Abstract Dimensions is “Ceremony of Resistance”. I can’t help but think of Forbidden and Death when I hear the opening harmonic minor riff. This bleeds into a mega-chugging stomp before cranking up the pace. The use of minor and diminished chords adds tension, bringing to mind riffage from the masterful Voivod. The single-note riffs with a traditional thrash beat are sure to incite a pit.
“Whispers from Hell” is a metal classic. The flowing melodic lines and shattering rhythms evolve into an intriguing progressive motif. A shout out to Stephen on vocals. He uses a fantastic mix of cleanish vocals and biting grit bordering on death. His cadence and melody add power and menace to this album.
Another noteworthy tune is “Drop off Point”. It begins with a masterful doomy intro that morphs into raging black metalish single-note riffs. The drums and bass provide punchy accents as the guitars roar. This tune will definitely have the crowd headbanging.
As much as I love the music on Abstract Dimensions, I feel that the mix just missed the mark. Ideally, I’d like to hear the drums (especially the kick) upfront. I love the guitar tone, it just seems to dominate. I also would like to hear a bit more definition on the bass guitar. Punch up the bass and kick and this album will soar.
Mortal Disguise has created an interesting amalgam of metal music that is extremely captivating on their debut Abstract Dimensions. The music isn’t groundbreaking and doesn’t have to be. Mortal Disguise takes the key pieces of the music that influenced them to create their own hybrid. Abstract Dimensions is a great metal album and worth checking out. Fans of bands such as Death and Destruction will find much to love on this album.