MORS VERUM were formed in 2015 and they are based in Toronto, Canada, Atlanta, Georgia, and Mumbai, India. They are a Death Metal band and released so far one EP and the full-length album "Deranged". The second EP "The Living" was produced and mixed by Mudrul Kamble. Topon Das did the mastering at APT2 Recording in Ottawa, Canada. The EP is an independent release and has a length of more than 23 minutes.

In modern times, Death Metal has a tendency to diverge more and more into different directions, some of them even in opposing directions. The sub-genre dissonant Death Metal is one of those and it is obviously opposed to melodic Death Metal. Dissonant Death Metal is by no means an established term. Bands that are referred as dissonant Death Metal like GORGUTS or Italian's AD NAUSEAM are often categorized as avant-garde Death Metal or even technical Death Metal. The latter category may really not describe the sound of dissonant Death Metal bands well, since the degree of technicality is surely different between both sub-genres. The term avant-garde Death Metal on the other hand is pretty diffuse, it does however suggest a certain presence of progressive elements and this might indeed be the case for dissonant Death Metal bands. However, I associate the term avant-garde with the 80s with bands like CELTIC FROST or VOIVOD, and in fact the late Denis DÀmour might be the pioneer for this sub-genre with his dissonant guitar riffing.

The sound of "The Living" has a mixture of all the components described above with the key feature being certainly the atonality in the guitar riffing and melodies. "The Living" is a concept EP and the song titles put together give the statement of "Inside Death's Womb Purge The Living". Well, it could have been a cool EP title. "Inside" is a grim mid-tempo song and it has the ingredients to be a good traditional Death Metal song: darkness, powerful riffing, blast-beats, and brutal growling vocals which are around the medium end of the guttural range. Key feature are the added dissonances to the guitars and a lot of rawness in the overall sound. "Death's" starts with a crunching bass and a doom-laden riffing at a sluggish rhythm which includes plenty of double-bass drumming. Highlight is the melodic lead guitar solo which is not an exception, but the rule in this sub-genre. Unfortunately, the sound is very dominated by the guitars and bass while I had a hard time to hear the drums and also the vocals.

"Womb" is an instrumental interlude with a chilling atmosphere which transitions into "Purge". The guitar riffing in "Purge" is maybe the best example why the term dissonant Death Metal probably fits the bill best. There is a degree of technicality at the base of the sound, but the atonality of the riffing dominates the track. "Purge" has a lot of tempo changes with frenzy blast-beat outbursts and it also includes melodic lead guitars. The song was released as video and the YouTube link is given below. The title song is the closing chapter of the EP and it starts with a bashing chaotic section of the guitars and drums. The lead guitar sequences provide plenty of disharmony while the overall sound remains grim and doomy. The tempo changes from the highly paced start via a mid-tempo part to a down-tempo, almost stomping rhythm which increases the brutality of the track. The final part ends with another short, but effective blast-beat assault.

"The Living" is an interesting EP. The sound is very doom-laden even for a Death Metal band. The predominantly dissonant guitar sequences contribute to the chilling atmosphere of the songs and that fits to the overall concept of the EP. The strengths of "The Living" are certainly the guitars and the bass as well as the complexity of the song structures which, altogether, is evidence for good songwriting. I had some trouble with the production of the EP and the subdued sound of the drums and the vocals. MORS VERUM establish their own sound with "The Living" further and Death Metal fans should give them a listen.