Mors Principium Est: Seven (AFM, 2020)

It dawned on me recently that in addition to 2020 being awful for a whole host of reasons, it has also delivered very few kickass melodic death metal albums. Fortunately Finnish band Mors Principium Est is here to remedy that with their seventh full-length album. It’s titled – wait for it – Seven, and it’s exactly what I needed.

Mors Principium Est always seems to be overshadowed by their more popular countrymen Children Of Bodom and overlooked by disciples of the Swedish melodic death scene, but they’ve been delivering first class melodic death metal for the better part of 20 years. And Seven is no exception. The band continues to build on that classic At The Gates/In Flames foundation and add their own unique touches like intricate keyboard elements and deft symphonic touches. At the heart of the album are Andy Gillon’s razor sharp riffs and Ville Viljanen’s fierce vocals.

Early singles “A Day For Redemption” and “My Home, My Grave” give you a good feel for what’s in store on Seven, but “In Frozen Fields may be the album’s strongest track. Not that there’s a dull moment on this frenetic 48-minute offering.

Seven is exactly the kind of melodic death metal album we needed this year. Classic yet creative, it’s the perfect blend of old school In Flames and Dark Tranquillity with newer Omnium Gatherum and Nightrage, and is guaranteed to get your blood pumping.