Mourning Wood – Fill Your Grave

Mourning Wood
Fill Your Grave
Label: Wormholedeath
Out: August 2^nd, 2024
Playing time: 20:28

It’s often the same story. A young band produces an EP or an album on its own and also distributes it itself. Then a record label becomes aware of the band. A contract is signed, and a re-release is published. With the option that further productions are possible. This is what happened with the Finnish Metal band Mourning Wood. The band was founded in 2021 and the first single ‘Gone At Last’ was completed one year later. The debut EP ‘Fill Your Grave’ was released in October 2023. And this is now being re-released via Wormholedeath and distributed worldwide.

‘Fill Your Grave’ is a hard and fast introduction to the EP. Fast riffs but also good vocals dominate. Jussi Holopainen’s voice tends more towards Rock, yet it harmonises with the Metal sounds of the rhythm section. A great guitar solo is the crowning glory of the whole thing. ‘Last Drop’ starts quietly with clean guitar melodies. But then the song turns into a mid-tempo Metal anthem, which is characterised not only by melody but also by calm guitar riffs. Things pick up again with ‘Sociopath’. The drums (Hanna-Leena Lassila) and the riffs of Eino-Akseli Koski drive each other on. Jussi’s vocals are heavier here. He also throws in some Metal screams. And once again the guitar solo is convincing. At the beginning of ‘Ave Mania’ there is a (very) short drum passage before the riffs come to the fore again. The singer proves once again with his high screams that he is also at home in Metal. And Hanna-Leena does some hard work behind the battery. The album closes with the mixture of contemplative ballad and great Metal anthem ‘Gone at Last’. The song is characterised by clean guitar melodies and accentuated drumming. However, one or two riffs add a harder edge. As a result, the song is not ballad-like throughout.

Wormholedeath did well to sign this young up-and-coming band. There is a lot of potential in Mourning Wood. The debut EP is convincing across the board.

Mourning Wood – Fill Your Grave: https://youtu.be/HjTJMmZOUdk?si=gxuU070F-zVZ5SEL

Lineup:

Jussi Holopainen – Vocals
Eino-Akseli Koski – Guitar, Backing Vocals
Lari Lämpsä – Bass, Backing Vocals
Hanna-Leena ”Hanska” Lassila – Drums

Track list:

• Fill Your Grave
• Last Drop
• Sociopath
• Ave Mania
• Gone At Last