Review: MONGOL “Warrior Spirit”

MONGOL “Warrior Spirit”

Since many years using musical folk influences in Metal or wearing ancient cloths, elements of armour isn’t anything strange or even more sacrilegious. So why the band from Canada shouldn’t do it?!? There’s also any duty to be fascinated by folklore of country where you live or even was born. That’s why brothers Berry (Luke – lead guitar, banjo, mandolin, Kenton – drums and Dayton – keyboards and accordion) and three other residents of Devon don’t hark back to folklore of Canadian Indians or Inuits. Anyway, Devon is small town located quite near (26 kilometers) southwest of Edmonton (capital of province of Alberta). The main player in town’s business sector is oil industry. Well, to be honest Devon owes its existence to one of the largest oil discoveries in the world which took place in 1947.

Guys say that they play Folk/Melodic Death Metal. Well, with this other element I’ll agree very willingly! Luke and Thomas (Quiring) concentrate themselves on creating melody, first of all. Concomitantly they care about diversion here thanks to what it’s rather impossible to be bored of this music. But this is still Death Metal and that’s why melodic character of riffs (which sometimes sounds in Heavy Metal way) doesn’t disturb their brutality. Of course it’s not brutality in vein of CANNIBAL CORPSE, DYING FETUS or IMMOLATION and we can’t call all riffs like that.

Kenton beats also variable as well. He change tempo from time to time. Mostly it’s rather middle or middle-slow one, but we have some speed-ups too. We have also quite a lot of passages (short ones often) here, and using cymbals almost permanently. Brandon’s (Knott) vocal can be described as melodic growling. He use it in various way and sometimes it’s more Death Metal growling, sometimes it has some connotations with this more melodic kind of Black Metal. Bass is very often hidden in background what doesn’t mean that you’ll don’t hear this if you’ll listen carefully.

And now you’ll ask me: “What about this Folk?!?”. Well, if I’d say that music of Canadians has nothing to do with that I’d just lie! But it’s surely not folklore of nation which suggest name of the band and pseudonyms of musicians. Besides instruments which can be recognized as folk ones come out rather rarely. So the strongest and leastways the best visible connection with Folk are clothes which guys wear. They write in biography something about Asian harmonies. I’m absolutely not an expert on this field, but it’s surely nothing what has with traditional Mongolian music to do what they mean.

However, band was found in 2009, but it seems that until 2011 it was just an duet. Then joined next members and at the moment we have six (judging from the pic) or seven (judging from info on E.N.) members. Anyway, they released two EPs (“Warrior Spirit“ is second one) and two albums.

To sum up let’s tell this loudly: these three songs are good. I’m sure that everybody who likes to hear some melody and strange instruments in Metal will be satisfied. I’ll even risk thesis that this person will want to get another MONGOL’s stuffs and even look forward to new one.