The Pitch: Croatian blackened doom metal from Muka. "Oh, thou misfit of the underground, oh thou untainted martyr, orate the perpetual sounds towards hereafter... " FFO Creeping, Krypts, Maieutiste
What I Like: Muka utterly nails the black metal spirit while maintaining the conventions of extreme doom. Everything about their sound is grim and intense. It has a dangerous, serated edge to it; largely thanks to the vicious, unrefined Croatian vocals and murky production. If you ask me, virtually any European language sounds one hundred times more ominous than any snarls in English. This is no different. As for the guitars, they display a nice combination of dissonant and somewhat tecchnical, disjointed riffs with more traditional doomy palm muting. At times they even remind me of Portal, particularly towards the middle of "Od Panja Do Panja."
Critiques: There are some more repetetive moments I'd like to excise in favor of a few more transitions. At just 30 minutes this doesn't become too much of a problem though. Muka could also generally benefit from a few more surprises up its sleeve.
The Verdict: Perhaps not the most exciting album you'll hear today, but certainly one prepared to drag you into the dirt and suffocate you with spite. Get it right now below.
Flight's Fav's: Sutra?!, O Tvom Soju, Ona Koje Nema