Nightmare Of Sound

M.O.R.G

In this recent resurfacing of Thrash there have been a plethora of bands from Europe […]
By Tom Colyer
March 12, 2015

In this recent resurfacing of Thrash there have been a plethora of bands from Europe getting out there and making a name for themselves. It's been a beautiful thing to see and it's really lent credence to the whole idea that in times of economic downturn, people turn to music as an outlet. Seeing so much energy and well directed passion through music very exciting. It kind of makes me pray for some cataclysmic event like a major economic collapse or the furiously blind destruction of Azathoth to hit the Earth, if nothing else just to get some good music out of the whole affair.

Apocalyptic wishes aside, I've had the pleasure of hearing some great bands during this wave and it has definitely reignited my love of Thrash, specifically the ridiculous, beer swilling attitudes that we've lost in Metal. The kind of shit bands like MUNICIPAL WASTE were famous for and would always get the party started. It's not all beer chugging party vibes though and there are just as many bands out there with a more serious sound to them, more akin to the METALLICA school of hard knocks.

M.O.R.G are one such band and the release of their first full length album: "Nightmare Of Sound", which sees them expanding on their Bay influenced sound and honing some of the rougher edges of the music. The album has all of the typical signs of a decent Thrash album, the guitars have a good crunch to them that doesn't get too muddied by too much low end and the bass has just the right punchiness to be heard but not get in the way of anything else. There are some fantastic lead lines and there is a certain catchiness that I think all Thrash should have, the kind of riffs that get stuck in your head and refuse to budge one iota.

The only real issue lies with the vocals. For the most part they work well, a good pitch and tone to them and to be honest they couldn't sound more Thrashy if they crawled out of the San Francisco bay and slapped James Hetfield in the face with a bag of Tom Araya's lungs. It's just a sad fact that front man João Almeida just misses the note on more than one occasion. I hate to pick something like this out as I know that singing is such a personal thing (there's not a chance I could sing in front of people for fear of embarrassment) but it is the only thing that stands in the way of this being a truly great album. My favourite song is also a strong example of this, track 5 - "Doom" has some of the best guitar work and general musicianship on the album but it also has some of the worst vocal moments, specifically in the latter half.

All in all though this is a good album and anyone looking to hear more 80's inspired Thrash could do much worse than to give these guys a listen. The Thrash scene coming out of Europe at the moment is ripening and the talent that it's producing could very well look to rival the old Gods of the American coasts.

6 / 10

Had Potential

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"Nightmare Of Sound" Track-listing:

1. Red Alert
2. Criminal Intent
3. Failure Of Mankind
4. War Machine
5. Doom
6. Dark Passenger
7. Nightmare Of Sound
8. Sacrifice
9. Lost Way
10. Bleed Out
11. Feelings (Acoustic Version)

M.O.R.G Lineup:

João Almeida - Vocals
Paulo Caetano - Guitars
Miguel Lima - Guitars
David Pedrosa - Bass
José Rodrigues - Drums

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