By Chance

Mora Prokaza

MORA PROKAZA is a Black Metal duet from Minsk, Belarus. It was formed in summer […]
Mora Prokaza - By Chance album cover

MORA PROKAZA is a Black Metal duet from Minsk, Belarus. It was formed in summer 2013 by guitarist and singer Farmakon and drummer Isvind. Isvind was replaced by a new drummer Hatestorm in the winter of 2015. "By Chance" contains nine tracks.

"WIMG" leads off the album; and under three-minute track that sets the tone for the album. It has some odd electronica, and then the shrieking vocals come in, spoken so fast that you could not understand them regardless if they were clean or harsh. The music is interesting...it's not that traditional "wall of sound" you hear in the genre, but does have that familiar "one-two" chord pattern. "I'm not Yours" opens with clean guitar notes and whispered vocals. A dark atmosphere lurks in the background. The vocals are carried out in an almost rapping fashion, repeating words and phrases, as does the music.

"Check it" features a similar pattern...odd music and shrieking, rapping vocals. Electronica provides most of the music here, along with big chord strikes, and some sort of instrument that I just cannot place. Accordion maybe? "I'm a Human" is another short song...opening with clean guitar tones and the shrieking vocals come into play next, with drumming at impossible speeds, and again that familiar "one-two" chord pattern. Though odd, they aren't winning any points for originality. "I See it this Way" is over six-minutes in length, with a long opening sequence. It takes until the half-way mark before any sort of real sound is established, and it's an eerie mix of strange instruments with effects. The sound drops to nearly nothing but soft piano notes to completion.

"Madonna" is another shorter song, with eerie tones in the beginning, along with clean vocals that repeat themselves again, and a steady dose of electronica. If it weren't for the vocal shrieks, you might mistake this for Industrial Metal. "Be There" opens with clean guitar tones and a feeling of despondence. Those odd tones continue, and it is clear that this band has a vision for their sound that it out there a little bit. "Sorry Man" brings more of that strange sound to the table. Electric strikes provide the backbone to an otherwise fairly unstructured song. The vocals are becoming quite annoying at this point in the album.

"Blacker than Black" closes the album, with a fuller sound. The repeating vocals are again sung at the speed of light, and we have an actual guitar riff here. It's simple, and you can count the 4/4 pacing, but the horrid vocals ruin much of the sound here IMO. Overall, this was a very strange listening experience, and I am somewhat surprised that they are signed to Season of Mist Records. In the sea of Black Metal bands out there, you can take the music in many, many directions. Here, they chose odd electronica to support the vocals that are buzzing in your face constantly. I am sure they have some fans, but it was just too weird for me to connect with.

5 / 10

Mediocre

Songwriting

5

Musicianship

5

Memorability

3

Production

8
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"By Chance" Track-listing:

1. WIMG
2. I'm not Yours
3. Check it
4. I'm a Human
5. I See it this Way
6. Madonna
7. Be There
8. Sorry Man
9. Blacker than Black

Mora Prokaza Lineup:

Farmakon - Vocals, Guitars
Hatestorm - Drums

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