Merrimack - The Acausal Mass (2012)

"Miss Mary Mack, Mack, Mack All dressed in black, black, black With silver buttons, buttons, buttons All down her back, back, back..." and, yeah, haha.

On a more serious note, Merrimack, the French black metal band founded in mid-90's is a name I've known since 2002 when either the band themselves or Elegy Records sent me their debut, 'Ashes of Purification' for review. Well, I must have parted ways with that one shortly thereafter because the bands name escaped me until just recently when I happened to see their most recent album, 'The Acausal Mass' sitting at my local record store and with the name ringing a bell upon discovery I decided to pick it up and see what Merrimack was up to these days.

Poking my nose around a little bit it would seem that the follow-up to Ashes, 'Of Entropy and Life Denial' was something of a modern classic as it received numerous positive marks, whereas the bands third output, 'Grey Rigorism' and this reviews subject have accumulated much worse marks. However, I haven't heard either of those and since I don't remember the debut I have absolutely no point of comparison.

Opening with fifty seconds of relentless blast beats and tremolo picking, 'Vestals of Descending Light' sounds more just like a fragment of a song rather than a song in itself, but after this quickie 'Arousing Wombs in Nine Angles Pleroma' kicks in and we quickly see the band going in a bit slower and atmospheric direction. It does however switch course towards a more brutal approach soon enough that doesn't sound entirely different from the last four Marduk recordings. Notably the guitars have a rather clean approach on this album rather than the more heavily fuzzed up technique that most bands employ and probably even these guys had on earlier material.

'Gospel of the Void' continues further onwards into the album with a really catchy 'lil opening riff with the song meandering between the speedier approach and a more creepy horrific pace that's totally effective and with two worthwhile solos it stands out as one of the albums finest. 'Beati Estis Cum Maledixerint Vobis' has a pacing between somewhat of a groovier style mixed with black metal blasting that's odd, but enjoyable on all levels, while 'Hypophanie' is entirely mid-paced in tempo and although one of the albums slowest it still is noteworthy, even more so with that rad little middle eastern acoustic ending piece to it. The album continues onwards with four more songs that essentially contain the same elements with little surprise, but at least with satisfying enough results.

When I really sat down an diagnosed 'The Acausal Mass' I found it to be an enjoyable record with its share of interesting songs, though I also found it to be the sort of record that doesn't really get underneath my skin enough. Perhaps the riff could have been more memorable or even if some further presence of catchiness was around it would make me want to spin the album and its songs more often, but since it generally lacks that its not an album I'd pull out that often.

Still, if you dig really any thing ranging from Marduk, Deathspell Omega, Blut Aus Nord and perhaps even Ondskapt then there's probably a fair chance you'll fancy this one. Apparently the entire band quit on founding guitarist Perversifier after Grey Rigorism and to assemble a new line-up and come up with a passable album is certainly a start in the right direction. Let's just hope they improve upon this creation and come up with something colossal the next time around.