When it comes to terms like metallic hardcore and metalcore, bands that are tagged as either have a lot of commonalities but bring different influences to mind. These days metallic hardcore brings a bit more Ringworm and Integrity to mind versus the broader span of influences that metalcore now encompasses, and it makes sense to refer to UK based Mourning by that term based on the sound they’re going for. On their debut full-length Disenlightenment (which follows last year’s Four Years of Grief compilation), Mourning injects a healthy dose of metal into metallic hardcore courtesy of some black metal riffs and atmosphere. There’s still room for the group to fuse these two styles even further, but it’s a mixture that works well and helps them to stand out.
It’s evident from the start of Disenlightenment that you’re in for something slightly different, as an ominous and foreboding melody leads right into blast beats and black metal riffing on the title track. Mourning weaves the blasts and colder tonality in seamlessly with the crunchier drumming and pummeling hardcore riffs throughout the album, and while there’s still just a bit more hardcore to the songwriting the band does move into the metal side of things a bit more often than some of the other groups in the genre. At times the crunchiness of the guitar tone and crispness of the drums bring classic Ringworm and Integrity to mind, and Mourning brings that same type of scorching intensity and smartly timed tempo changes. But then you get to a song like “Tyranny of Guilt” where the opening riff sounds somewhere between Immortal and Inquisition initially before settling into a hardcore chug around the three-quarter mark. Moments like these stand out over repeat listens, and it helps that the instrumentals are focused on short and effective passages that don’t overstay their welcome. Admittedly even with Disenlightenment being a fairly short album there are some similarities to the songwriting that makes a few moments blur together, and I’d be interested in hearing more of the almost dungeon synth type interludes that “Foreboding” offers in the future. But I’ve still found myself drawn back to Mourning’s fusion of styles again and again over the last few days, as they manage to capture both metallic hardcore and black metal in ways that pull the best elements from both genres.
The instrumentals may fuse genres, but the vocal work on Disenlightenment keeps things rooted firmly in the hardcore side of things. Vocalist/guitarist Connor Hehir has a very high-pitched scream/yell that reminds me of bands like Comeback Kid. The shrillness and intensity of the performance suits what Mourning is going for quite well, and while the pitch doesn’t deviate that significantly over the course of the album the verses are spaced out in a way that keeps things from feeling repetitive. This is another area where the group comes off sounding just a bit different than many of their peers, as the hardcore screaming blends with the black metal riffs in a way that doesn’t sound the same as other artists who have tried a similar mixture.
Mourning combines black metal and 90s metallic hardcore in ways that I didn’t know I wanted previously, and while they’ve left themselves with room to expand upon it even further there’s plenty here that will keep listeners coming back. If you’re interested in blast beats and mosh pit worthy breakdowns in equal capacity, this group definitely has you covered, and I’m excited to see what elements they choose to build on next time around. Disenlightenment is available from Streets of Hate, Northern Unrest, and Retribute Records.
-Review by Chris Dahlberg