If every sense is bled nearly dry will anger and fear feel more subdued or flee entirely? If your anger builds constantly will you become a true monster?
Blacked psychedelia soaked Morpheus Tales see the truest form of fear and made it into the monster we’re all capable of becoming. II is a concept album drenched in terror that bends and breaks the mind. This surreal tale is the most Lovecraftian thing I’ve heard in ages. Prepare to enter a pit of Hell crafted by Paris on and guitars, drums, keys and programming, Giorgos P on guitars, and Lee on vocals. Additional appearances by Stefanos D on bass and Orestis Exidaris on saxophone. They’ve collectively poured out a tale of true terror for your cathartic entertainment.
This is an album meant to be listened to and read. The music is dazzling while the vocals and story will attack everything you’ve held dear. Like watching a crew of fire dancers. It’s beautiful to witness. But at any moment everything can easily erupt into flames. Eight nameless chapters lay the foundation of our story. Please listen to this from start to finish and hold on tight.
“Chapter I”: A line guitar lays the bedrock until a hail-like barrage of drums begins to distort it. The growl singing style of Lee begins the narrative ‘What is this thing that stands before me? What’s that pitch black darkness ahead of me? Order. Fire. Cleansing. Chaos’. The screams of Hell’s denizens echo our protagonist’s plight. The crooked gnarled flesh next to history’s most hideous creations see our protagonist’s mind break and rebuild to make sense of everything. Each instrument is a jolt of fear and excitement. Lee’s voice jumps from bewilderment to disgust to intrigue. Our character joins in with the chaos becoming one with it like an amorphous blob constantly growing more and more powerful with each consumption.
“Chapter II”: The soundscapes are more warped. The desperation is present in every member. From the pummeling of Paris’s drumming to the ferociousness of the guitars, which are played with the skill of a surgeon in a woven hodgepodge of glorious power and desolate despair.
“Chapter III”: Lee’s whispered singing enters like a smoke then are shouted by guitars at war with each other somehow melodically weaves everything together. Eventually everything becomes so hectic it drops becoming more calm. Lee’s vocals become growled. But then the his original calm demeanor returns. This gives your brain a moment to process. The madness returns but it’s more contained. This, to be shows our protagonist beginning to make sense of the new and altered reality.
“Chapter IV”: Amorphous riffs dipped in every psychotropic drug surround you with their great wall of sound. It here we feel the protagonist feel completely engulfed. He’s trapped. Looking up and down with no escape.
“Chapter V”: With no escape completely set in panic has left you. The sharpened edges of the guitars have been rounded leaving more of a sense of a sense of confidence and more familiarity. Jazzy saxophone intervals have been added with perfection. Paris’s keys are played with terrifying chaos. Almost like this chasm you’re trapped in become more of a sandbox until ‘Please. Save me. Please. I want to live. I will do whatever you want. Please. I want to live’ are drilled into your brain. Was this phrase a memory of when the terror was more felt? Has the fear come back? That’s up to how you feel. ‘Death comes to life’.
“Chapter VI”: The music reaches a new plane of melodic. But the vocals are much more angry. ‘I hear your words loud and clear’. The urgency has been replaced with fierce hatred. Manically singing ‘don’t be afraid of the darkness’ ‘you will be free’.
“Chapter VII”: Playful guitars are instantly made sinister as Lee’s spoken word features a maniacal laugh. Broken keys and a sprinkling of strings are broken by a pummeling assault of a spinning chasm of sound spinning around almost feeling like it’s tightening round your neck. All through II there are hints of escaping this nightmare but never as prominently of the mid section of this track. Until a second spoken word passage makes it abundantly clear there’s no chance of breaking out. The sinister laugh stuck with me for hours. Shaking me to my core. Laughing in the face of utter destruction and fear puts you into control.
Chapter VIII: It’s softer. The beginning keeps slightly picking up. And backing off. You want it pick up. It takes trough master of the craft of music you put the listener into a state of unrest. But, this track feels like a roller coaster. Down to each best feeling like a thousand rails. I’m shaking wondering when it’s all going to come crashing down. Each word. Each notes builds on that feeling. It’s slightly picks up. The slower pace almost has a strangling effect. Lee’s spoken word returns. The protagonist has won. In a way. He has complete control over the nightmare. I suppose here is where it’s all built to. He controls his nightmare soaked universe. He’s become the nightmare.
Richard Murray
To delve even deeper into the madness please listen to the lyrics featured on: https://morpheustales.bandcamp.com/album/ii
