Drummer Metällinen and singer/guitarist Karulainen started Mourniaty as a project all the way back in 2015, but it is only in recent years they have become a full band with the addition of Tenho (bass) and Liekkiö (guitar). “Musta maa” (Black Earth) is their debut and was released towards the end of 2025 and as one can tell from the band name, black and white cover photo and title, this is black metal. In many ways this feel quite traditional, with a tempo which is more mid-paced than most with little or no blastbeats and the impression of evil as opposed to it being rammed in your face.
It is a very clever album in some ways in that while the songs themselves are fairly standard and middle of the road, the production lifts everything so one wants to keep playing this – the very first time I listened to it I put it back on again as soon as it had finished, which is not something I do very often. No-one could ever accuse them of being groundbreaking, and there is even a vein of commerciality running through some of the material which feels quite at odds with the vocal style as Mourniaty definitely try to move their music in a somewhat different direction to many. This is not an essential black metal release, but there is no doubt it demonstrates promise and I will be intrigued to see how they develop from here.
Rating: 6/10
Links:
https://www.facebook.com/mourniaty
https://www.facebook.com/inverserecords