MORBYDA
Under the Spell CD JEWELCASE

Dying Victims Productions, jewelcase, sticker, obi

Hailing from Leipzig, Germany’s MORBYDA was founded 2022 by vocalist / guitarist Mogli (Indian Nightmare) and drummer Joris (BOUNDLESS CHAOS, Warm Swords) with the intention to shred some skull-crushing blackened speed metal. Early on, their influences were drawn from the more traditional but equally fast bands of the New Wave of Heavy Metal movement like Skull Fist, Evil Invaders, and Stallion. Thus armed, the duo wrote their first songs, which tended to have a darker and more evil approach than said bands.After the joining of second guitarist Julez (Sintage) and bassist Antoni (Pursuit), MORBYDA completed and recorded their first Demo(n) Tape in 2023 during some more-than-drunken nights in the valleys of Leipzig. Armed with that demo, MORBYDA sharpened their knives and started to play many gigs: Over the Edge 3, Antifascist Black Metal Gathering, touring with BOUNDLESS CHAOS and Necromancer, and many more. In August 2024, they recorded their debut full-length.

A grand debut statement, MORBYDA’s Under the Spell is a fresh breath of old air. Wild yet locked-in, exhibiting both the fury of youth and the ageless wisdom of the ancients, the band’s debut album remains a HEAVY METAL album above all. The atmosphere may be blackened, the pace swift but never overly speedy, the shifts in dynamics and textures equally restless and thoughtful, but MORBYDA display a maturity beyond their young years here; even calling Under the Spell “blackened speed metal” betrays the depth of their compositions. The dual-lead work alone enflames the senses, sulfurous and yet very nearly NWOBHM, and the quartet’s energy – again, no matter the tempo – is simply off the charts here. On sheer charisma alone, MORBYDA could convince the most skeptical of listeners.Old-days references could include Japan’s Sabbat, millennial Nifelheim, the late / great Eidomantum, early Tribulation, or Hungary’s Tormentor, but all that’s to underline just how advanced MORBYDA are at this early stage. It’s almost guaranteed you’ll fall Under the Spell!