M.O.R.A. – s/t

M.O.R.A. is the incarnation of members from bands like Black Betsy, Spoiled Betty, Confusa and Aurinkokerho. Blending the finest elements of hardcore and regular metal into interesting and speedy crossover. Two female vocalists with two different vocal tones, it complements the album very well. It’s also one of these awesome D.I.Y-releases, meaning that it’s self-released awesomeness.

It takes some time before I get to know the fist of fury that is M.O.R.A. In the beginning, the more hardcore-oriented sound is in the foreground, making for an interesting leap to the lesser elements of metal. Especially noticeable in the songs Feikki (Fake), Neulan Alla (Under The Needle) and Liika On Lika (Too Much Is Too Much). I like how they use the combination of straight-forward hardcore and lyrical content that’s typical hardcore, for instance in the song Feikki (Fake): “switching sides ’cause you only love winners, but you ain’t fooling no one“.

After finishing listening to the fourth song, I feel like something is missing. Surely enough, a reminder comes my way within the ballistic metal-intro of the song Mun Jutut (My Business). A perfect blend of the hardest metal and the attitude of hardcore. The chorus in itself is both hilarious and at the same time ferocious. I really like the Finnish language and this is no exception.

The song S.O.S returns the album to the hardcore roots. A seemingly rampant and speedy return, with blends of metal breakdowns. Swirling into the crossover that it finds itself in. Leaving me with my jaw on the floor. At the same time that I feel like I’m lacking the amazing intro of the song Mun Jutut (My Business), it somewhat returns in an even more extreme fashion with the song Sika V.I.P. Which is a song about greediness, deserving of this total fucking chaos that unloads right into my ears. So, yeah, when you’re done with abusing my ears feel free to continue doing so.

Last songs Nollatoleranssi (Zero Tolerance) and Sourittajat (Completers) continue their mayhem, changing in between great hardcore elements and pretty interesting shifts in between metal-riffing and hardcore-riffing. But I must admit that the intros are those that blow me away the most, and also the ending, when they put enough powder in the keg to blow the scenery into pieces. Also a good load of lyrical content that makes sense and is written in a fashion that makes it easy to comprehend, but now I’ll have to learn Finnish as well.

So yeah, if you like Municipal Waste, Toxic Holocaust and Finland, all combined – you’ll dig this too.

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