Mourning Beloveth - A Murderous Circus

circus_brimstone

Forest: Sold Out
Jul 5, 2003
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Mourning Beloveth – A Murderous Circus
Grau Records – March 2005
By Jason Jordan

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Mourning Beloveth’s A Murderous Circus – or, the artwork rather – is a dead ringer for Katatonia’s Viva Emptiness. Seriously, glances at the former will easily make you think you’re beholding the latter. It’s fitting, though, because a lot of Katatonia does rest in the group’s sound. A Murderous Circus isn’t meant to be drank in short gulps. No, the hour and fifteen minute opus is definitely for the longsuffering.

Judging by the number of compositions, you may think that this is an EP. When – in truth – the shortest outing grasps the eleven-minute mark. Three reach close to the fifteen-minute mark, while only one breaches twenty. “The Apocalypse Machine” introduces us to the first, significant output from Mourning Beloveth. Mostly, the song tends to traipse along at a fairly slow pace, and overall the tracks tend to lean on confident riffs for support. There’s no real intricacy to be unearthed within the record, but there sure are plenty of quality riffs. The drumming is sufficient, but the transitions should consult a circumspect ear next time around. Kuhr (Novembers Doom, Subterranean Masquerade) worship occurs on the part of the vocalized lyrics, although they’re a bit less guttural. “Elemental Nausea,” “The Crashing Wave,” “Nothing (The March of Death)”, and “…Yet Everything” employ all the elements listed prior. “Nothing (The March of Death)” will actually conjure thoughts of a march, however, and there are some clean vocalizations intermixed with the other instrumental devices. Mourning Beloveth’s latest, I’m pleased to say, is a solemn yet edifying journey.

Undoubtedly, the group has shown that they’re more than interlopers; A Murderous Circus is evidence of the aforementioned. Still, some differentiation would be advantageous if Mourning Beloveth wish to be kings of their respective genre, whatever the hell that is.

8/10

Official Mourning Beloveth website
Official Grau Records website