Full Album Stream: Mourn – “Beneath the Beloved Axe”

Canadian quintet Mourn have taken sludge metal as a framework for their debut album, Beneath the Beloved Axe, and taken it in numerous directions. Crowbar is an obvious point of reference on Beneath the Beloved Axe; vocalist Randy McAllister has an aggressive, yet still emotive, roar comparable to Kirk Windstein. Elsewhere they embody the belligerent anger of hardcore (“Cross Off My Name”) and crushing chugs of a band like Gojira.

Despite those influences, Beneath the Beloved Axe is a modern-sounding record, written and produced with a sense of weight and immediacy. Even at their most atmospheric, Mourn hold the listener captive and resume the beating with the next muscular riff.

Check out Beneath the Bloodied Axe below; it’s out independently tomorrow.