Review Summary: Under-produced, heavy on the low end and absolutely brutal – but what’s the catch? Three girls.
Riding on the wave of the death/doom explosion of the early 90s, Mythic’s 1993 EP
Mourning in the Winter Solstice is a sludgy and f
ucking brutal morsel of death metal, with a subtle infusion of the period’s typical doom sound. With a low, rumbling bass that follows heavily in the footsteps of Winter, the EP is face crushingly heavy, and does well to stick close to its death metal roots, all while invoking an apocalyptic and sinister atmosphere. Best of all, the band’s three members are female, making them somewhat of a novelty. However, this is not to say that the EP itself isn’t any good. The bass is very prominent, so much so that at times it’s hard to distinguish between the bass and guitar lines. This, and the overly loud drumming, is exacerbated by the somewhat poor production, and leaves the EP in either an under-produced, but grim perspective, or one that’s under-produced but sh
itty. Fortunately enough, vouching for fans of this style of death/doom, Mythic’s under-produced sound does have a certain nostalgic feel to it. Moreover, the little sampled intro at the beginning of ‘Spawn of Absu’ further supplements the album’s old school ideals, giving it a sense of character and innovation.
Vocally, the EP is as dirty as it is in every other respect. Guitarist Dana Duffey lays down some dense and sinister gutturals that assonate remarkably well with the grimy riffs and ominous atmosphere. The production casts a murky veil over the vocals, but again this can work in the album’s favour. It’s this that ultimately determines whether one would derive any enjoyment from
Mourning in the Winter Solstice. You might require a certain affinity for this brief period in the history of death and doom to see any good in Mythic, but if you’re one of these people, I’d like to introduce you to Dana, Mary and Terri.
