Emerging from France, MORGUE has established itself as a dominant force in the Brutal Death Metal landscape. Since their inception in the late 1990s, the band has consistently forged their path with a brutal combination of guttural intensity and technical mastery. Their 2024 release, "Close To Complete Darkness", reveals their most grim, fusing raw, aggressive energy with deep, existential themes. Renowned for their bone-crushing riffs and precisely constructed sound, MORGUE captures the raw power of early Death Metal while incorporating the relentless brutality characteristic of modern Brutal Death Metal.

"Upon the Altar" opens the album with a deep, classical intro that lures the listener into solemn contemplation, only to be met with a crushing onslaught of relentless riffs and guttural growls. The track explores the futility of spiritual meaning, rejecting redemption in favor of brutal reality. Blood, violence, and sacrifice are the dominant themes, creating a nihilistic narrative that mirrors the song’s brutal sound. The cyclical nature of death is captured both lyrically and musically, enveloping the listener in an unrelenting atmosphere of destruction. It’s an unforgiving experience, one that holds true to Brutal Death Metal’s ethos.

In "Doorways in Crimson Red", MORGUE delivers a scathing portrayal of betrayal, where deception and manipulation lead to inevitable ruin. The metaphor of frames painted blood red invokes a foreboding sense of impending doom, while the imagery of the "serpent tongue" encapsulates the treacherous nature of deceit. The music, a relentless barrage of aggressive riffs and thunderous drums, intensifies the sense of doom, creating a feeling of inescapable collapse. This track exemplifies the band’s ability to marry narrative depth with raw musical ferocity, crafting a powerful depiction of the darker sides of human nature.

"Sacrificial Blood" delves into themes of moral decay and existential decline, with biblical imagery of sin and punishment casting a grim shadow over the song. The reference to severing one's hand, symbolic of extreme self-sacrifice, sets the tone for a relentless exploration of guilt and futility. The music reflects the lyrical bleakness, with downtuned riffs and a crushing tempo that leaves no room for solace. MORGUE paints a dark portrait of spiritual and physical ruin, offering no redemption, only the slow decay of life.

"Desobedience" critiques the false facade of power and the dangers of blind faith. The lamb disguised as a beast represents an illusion of strength, while the cyclical regression of the figure points to a wasted life. Musically, the track mirrors this critique with dissonant riffs and a chaotic structure that reinforces the themes of spiritual and intellectual stagnation. It’s a sharp commentary on the consequences of misguided adherence to doctrine, with MORGUE’s unrelenting sound underscoring the inevitability of downfall.

"Towards Complete Darkness" fills the album with a haunting reflection on existential futility. The speaker stands on the threshold between life and death, grappling with the disillusionment of empty spiritual promises. The song’s slow, oppressive riffs and suffocating atmosphere mirror the collapse of hope, as the path once thought to lead to salvation crumbles into lies.

MORGUE’s final tracks leaves the listener engulfed in despair, a fitting end to an album steeped in existential dread and brutal reflection. You must listen!

The artwork for "Close To Complete Darkness", masterfully crafted by Paolo Girardi, is a striking visual reflection of MORGUE's sonic intensity. Girardi's depiction of skulls intertwined with eerie, omnipresent eyes channels a distinctly Lovecraftian horror, capturing the essence of the album’s dark, existential themes. The grotesque imagery invokes a sense of looming dread and decay, perfectly mirroring the chaotic, oppressive atmosphere of the music. The intricate detailing of the skulls, paired with the haunting gaze of the eyes, creates a nightmarish tableau that draws the viewer into the abyss, embodying the bleakness and nihilism that permeates the record. Girardi's work not only complements MORGUE's brutal sound but elevates the album’s visual identity into a work of art that resonates with the album’s themes of death, decay, and spiritual ruin.