The Dutch band Codex Mortis delivers a combination of Black and Death Metal in a concise 28 minutes on their 2nd album, ‘Tales of Woe’. Black/Death Metal, Blackened Death Metal… but in the vein of how was initially crafted between 25-30 years ago, the Scandinavian way, rather than how it is often explained today: a modern Behemoth or symphonic synths.
Codex Mortis draws inspiration more from the likes of Naglfar and Sacramentum when it comes to Black Metal riffs, Dissection-esque passages, and mixes this with the uptempo riffs of Panzerchrist during the ‘Battalion Beast’ era, with a track such as ‘The Lean Black Cruisers’ in particular. In my opinion, this is evident in a track like ‘It Dies with Me’.
‘Tales of Woe’ is anything but deficient; it possesses a decent blend of aggression, melody, and familiarity. However, for me it still lacks that final step that would elevate this album from “respectable” to “remarkable”. But, in any case, they are a band to keep an eye on if you enjoy the style.
