:: Morgion - The Relapse Collection

Morgion

Looking back, Californian metal act Morgion really were an important part of the death/doom scene within the U.S. And while they never really attained the respect or success that their European counterparts received in their own country, Morgion’s releases helped pave the way for several U.S. acts in the years that followed. Despite having disbanded in 2004, Relapse Records have put together a remastered double CD collection of everything the band produced throughout their years with the label, along with a host of previously unreleased material and liner notes for the diehard fan. The first disc begins with the band’s critically acclaimed second full-length release ‘Solinari’. Released in February 1999, the album was a big step beyond the band’s humble debut full-length effort and hailed as triumph, immediately drawing comparisons to death/doom greats such as Paradise Lost, Cathedral, My Dying Bride and Anathema. The seven track album has well and truly stood the test of time, with tracks such as ‘All The Glory…All The Loss’ and ‘The Serpentine Scrolls/Descent To Arawn’ definitive Morgion highlights. Apart from ‘Solinari’, the first disc also includes the previously unreleased ‘Oceans Without Shores’ EP, which was originally scheduled for release the same year, but was shelved due to a lack of interest from the label. As the tracks were recorded during the same sessions that produced ‘Solinari’, there’s little change of direction from the album itself. But having said that, their inclusions at the end of ‘Solinari’ are welcomed, giving the album a well deserved expanded treatment. The second disc of this collection features the band’s debut full-length effort ‘Among Majestic Ruin’, which was originally released in January 1997. While the album isn’t anywhere near the standard of ‘Solinari’, and the songs aren’t anywhere near as original and diverse as the band’s output in later years, the five tracks do give an insight to where the band first started. Overall, it’s enjoyable for what it is, and it’s nice to finally hear the five tracks in remastered form. As an added bonus, there’s original demo tracks of ‘Mundane’, ‘The Serpentine Scrolls/Descent To Arawn’ and the previously unreleased instrumental ‘Phoenix Moons’, along with a band rehearsal for ‘All The Glory…All The Loss’ from 1998. While none of the tracks are all that essential, their inclusions are interesting nonetheless. Overall, ‘The Relapse Collection’ is a well put together package of Morgion’s two releases for Relapse Records, and one that will appeal to diehard fans of the now defunct band.