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Mors Principium Est<\/strong> should, for longtime fans of Angry Metal Guy, need no introduction. Since 2003, these Finns have released eight full-length albums of top-notch melodic death metal. However, they really took flight in 2012 with \u2026and Death Said Live!<\/a>, which coincidentally is a year after Andy Gillion<\/a> joined the band. Between 2011 and 2021, Mors<\/strong> produced melodic death metal that drew heavily on a strong Gothenburg vibe; guitar-forward, slick as fuck, and fun to listen to. Gillion was fired, however, in 2021. That was followed by the band releasing an album of re-recorded songs called Liberate the Unborn Inhumanity, which fans largely considered a half-measure. Darkness Invisible, then, marks the first truly new material since Seven<\/a>. And I\u2019ve been dying to know how this revamped Mors Principium Est<\/strong> would navigate the changes on album number nine.<\/p>\n Darkness Invisible presents a recognizable core sound that longtime fans will connect with, but its character reflects the shift in the lineup. With Ville Viljanen\u2019s scathing roar still at the helm, the return of Jori Haukio and Jarkko Kokko on guitars reintroduces the early 2000s songwriting DNA, while bassist Teemu Heinola and (new guy) Marko Tommila give the rhythm section both drive and dynamic weight. Together, they summon a melodeath that is at once cinematic, technical, and blackened\u2014evoking countrymen Children of Bodom<\/strong> or Kalmah<\/strong>. The themes that emerge are darker than before: a push toward massive symphonic density that occasionally brushes against Septic Flesh<\/strong>\u2019s deathly grandeur, the arrival of deeper guttural vocals that tilt passages toward brutal death, and flashes of blackened riffing that lend a sharp edge. These elements intermingle across the album, creating a record that is both familiar and ambitious.<\/p>\n Much of Darkness Invisible\u2019s character comes from its dark dynamics and cinematic presentation. The compositions weaponize contrast in vocals and atmosphere, making for a dynamic and entertaining record. Viljanen\u2019s familiar bark remains the anchor of MPE<\/strong>\u2019s sound, but the band now folds in cavernous gutturals that push closer to death metal extremity (\u201cSummoning the Dark\u201d), even contrasting these with operatic cleans and producing a clash of brutality and grandeur (\u201cAll Life Is Evil\u201d). Additionally, there\u2019s a frost that creeps into the riffs and drumming, with trem-picked riffs and blastbeats sharpening the band\u2019s melodeath foundation toward something blackened and sinister (see: the chorus of \u201cVenator,\u201d or the end of \u201cThe Rivers of Avernus\u201d). And even the more straightforward cuts employ these textures to broaden their weight, layering symphonic swells and bleak grandeur over increasingly technical riffing. The result is a record that sounds darker and denser than the glossy sheen of Seven<\/a>. This expansion lends ambition and menace, though the density of choirs, gutturals, and orchestrations sometimes threatens to swamp the guitars that were the core of Mors<\/strong>\u2019 sound.<\/p>\n For all its ambition, Darkness Invisible\u2019s major drawback is that it\u2019s undermined by an Industry Standard Production Job\u2122 courtesy of Jens Bogren (mixing) and Tony Lindgren (mastering). Bogren has made dense orchestral metal soar before\u2014think how cleanly he\u2019s wrangled maximalist arrangements for acts like Fleshgod Apocalypse<\/strong><\/a> and Turisas<\/strong><\/a>\u2014which makes this result unusual. The record is mastered loud and layered thick; climaxes hit hard, but the constant stacking of choirs, vocals, multiple guitar tracks, drums, and orchestration often clutters the field and can bury the guitars that most recently defined Mors Principium Est<\/strong>. On a proper stereo, the album sounds big and sinister\u2014fully loaded with dynamics, pomp, and grandeur\u2014but on earbuds and smaller setups, it can collapse into a busy blur. It\u2019s been a long time since I popped in a new release and found it simply too crowded for casual listening\u2014and it ends up being fatiguing to the ear at times. That busyness contributes to the album\u2019s oppressive mood, but it also blunts individual performances. In reaching for monumental scale, the mix trades away clarity, leaving the listener torn between admiration for scope and frustration at execution.<\/p>\n Darkness Invisible has convinced me that this lineup can carry Mors Principium Est<\/strong> forward. The shift in sound works: the band leans harder into Children of Bodom<\/strong> and Dark Tranquillity<\/strong> on the melodic side, showing off fantastic guitar work while embracing a more cinematic and melodramatic identity. Without the bonus track, the album lands at a vinyl-friendly 46 minutes, and its structural pacing\u2014variations in tempo, atmosphere, and density\u2014make it a fun and dynamic listen despite the crowded mix. Darkness Invisible doesn\u2019t bear much resemblance to the Gillion era, but that\u2019s not necessarily a weakness. This darker and more melodramatic Mors Principium Est<\/strong> feels fresh, and tracks like \u201cAll Life Is Evil\u201d and \u201cThe Rivers of Avernus\u201d prove the style\u2019s promise. So, I entered this review with concerns about what a Gillion-less Mors Principium Est<\/strong> would sound like, and I\u2019m leaving it impressed and excited for what\u2019s to come. I would call that a great success.<\/p>\n \ufeff\ufeff<\/p>\n Rating: <\/strong>Very Good! \n\tGive in to Your Anger:\n<\/p>\n![\"Band](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Sami_Teeri_315170-500x373.jpg\")
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DR:<\/strong> 6 | Format Reviewed:<\/strong> 320 kb\/s CBR MP3
Label:<\/strong> Perception<\/a> [Reigning Phoenix Music<\/a>]
Websites: <\/strong>Facebook<\/a> | Instagram<\/a>
Out Worldwide:<\/strong> September 26th, 2025<\/p>\n