Morgion - God of Death and Disease
For those of you like myself who shit a brick sideways at the notion of a new Morgion album upon seeing this in print, get a wet-nap and clean yourself up. The band is still defunct, God of Death and Disease is merely unearthed demo material. Not that it isn’t welcomed and long overdue. Cheers to Dark Descent for shining a well-deserved light on the infancy stages of these Cali Death/Doom legends. What’s on display here is 1993’s Travesty demo, 1991’s Rabid Decay demo, and a live rehearsal. While the group would eventually burgeon into one of the most enchanting Doom acts American soil had to offer (1997’s crushing debut Among Majestic Ruin, 1999’s haunting Solinari, and 2004’s swansong Cloaked by Ages, Crowned in Earth are about as essential as listening gets for the gloom-addicted), they began as a pure Death Metal band. As much as I worship at the altar of Morgion, I’ll be the first to admit that GoDaD is a take-it-or-leave-it affair. On one hand you have the novelty aspect. None of these recordings have ever seen a proper release, and none of the songs themselves would actually make it onto an official Morgion offering. There’s also the time-travel appeal. Revisiting the humble beginnings of such an inspiring band makes for great nostalgia, not to mention the Peter North load blown by completists worldwide. However, the material itself doesn’t have a ton of staying power. Don’t get me wrong, it’s dark, it’s brutal, it’s primitive, it’s morbid, it sounds like circa ‘91 Asphyx and Morgoth on cheap downers and a studio budget of $3.50, but it’s a hard-boiled egg fart in the wind compared to the music they would come to make. We’re talking zero-memorability and a rough sound quality. Not Death by Metal rough, but rough enough to provoke the occasional cringe. This is demo tape-to-mp3 transfer, and while I’ve no doubt that guitarist, keyboardist, vocalist, graphic designer, and all-around wind beneath Morgion’s wings Gary Griffith did the best job he could, it leaves much to be desired. Speaking of desire, the band is playing a reunion show at the Maryland Deathfest in 2013. If you never got the chance to witness the sheer power and awe of a Morgion gig, you should book the hotel now. It will be life-affirming and LOUD! Just don’t bet on any of these old tunes making the setlist, and unfortunately for good reason.
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