Mortals

Zhora

The first track, "Coke Vulture", starts with the sound of sniffing a cocaine line, which […]
By Sergio Andrés
February 28, 2020
Zhora - Mortals album cover

The first track, "Coke Vulture", starts with the sound of sniffing a cocaine line, which sets the tone for what's yet to come: a brutal assault to all your senses. You have the fast Speed Metal double bass drums, the downturned riffs, and the distorted vocals. I enjoy the way the drummer intelligently changes the accents throughout this section. The tempo changes in the middle fit evidence properly whatever is happening on the head's narrator. Arpeggiated riffs on a slower part at the bridge also show a proficient way of keeping the listener entertained.

The second track, "Hellfire", is more of a straight forward Heavy fast continuation. "The Hollow", the third track, has an attractive ¾ section showing some band music skill, and yes, it does add some Progressive Metal nuances to the massive band action. Worth to mention, is the finale of this song, keeping a melodic line harmonized with different guitars. Sonically, there is no instrument above others; every musical instrument is heard on the right frequency.

"Wall Of time" has a nice flow, I would dare to say that this could be the tune that will work better on a live environment. Just like a previous track, it is embellished with a 3/4 section (6/8 being more specific). I think the drum deserves a better treatment here, especially the snare, but it is only a detail. This song ends with an engaging, powerful coda and a nice selection of cymbals.

"Demotivator" employs a slow, almost dreamy part, with soft guitars at the 0:50 mark, not bad, but it got me surprised. The overall track doesn't get my attention like the others, too many elements, not a magnificent big picture. No catchy ideas for my FM ears.

"Spectral Embrace" starts promisingly, but those "emotive" (lack of a better word) connection passages really set the song back. The same happens with the percussion arrangements at the 1:37 mark, it doesn't belong properly.  At this point, I'm missing an "outside" producer capable of giving some order and cohesiveness to every section. The band has potential, but they insist on creating too many parts for the sake of it. Don't get me wrong, it is excellent music, but it screams consistency in some tracks.

7 / 10

Good

Songwriting

7

Musicianship

7

Memorability

7

Production

7
"Mortals" Track-listing:

1. Coke Vulture
2. Hellfire
3. The Hollow
4. Wall Of time
5. Demotivator
6. Spectral Embrace

Zhora Lineup:

Colin Bolger - Vocals, Guitars
Pancho O'Meara - Guitars
Tom Woodlock - Drums
Alan Hanlon - Bass

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