### Memoria: Death calls the islands

#### 23/02/12 || Smalley

Memoria better hope that death doesn’t call the islands, seeing as how they’re from the same neck of the woods as Double D is (Australia). Though, there isn’t really any indication of that in their music anywhere; that’s what I like about metal, how it seems a band from any country ever can just “plug into” overall trends, and sound as legit at it as any band from Norway or Sweden or the other big metal countries. Anyway, “calls” is a pretty decent debut, with some good aggression and harsh atmosphere/production in their particular brand of black metal, and some interesting avant garde touches, but still lacks a bit when it comes to hookiness; the songs are engaging enough while they’re still playing, but once they’re over, they don’t have that infectious sort of songwriting to them to keep you playing them over and over just in your head. Now THAT’S when you know you’ve got some good songwriting.

Also, the vocalwork is a bit muddled, whether it be the harsher stuff or cleaner; they both kind of just get lost in the mix, obscured by the buzz of the rhythm guitar. Still, it isn’t a deal-breaker, and their songwriting does possess enough variation to keep me interested, if not quite enamored.

7/10: Keep at it, ya Blackmetaldile Dundees.