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Holy fucking hidden gem Batman! I had heard a bit about this local act but unfortunately missed them the couple of times I had a chance to see them live. I got a hold of this CD thanks to a poster on the board here who told me I just had to hear them. Mog Ruith are all over the place: Basically Black/Thrash with some melodic death metal influences, both musically and vocally. Some guitar melodies remind me of pre-suck In Flames (boy was that a loooong time ago), but overall it's a good mix of raw and somewhat melodic Black/Thrash riffage that send you into an headbanging frenzy - I can't help but think of the mighty Desaster when I listen to this stuff. Raw and melodic may sound like an oxymoron, but these guys pulled it off very well. The guitar work is definitely the highlight here - aggressive, raw and catchy and some very cool soloing which kind of save "The Ravenous King" from its 8+ minutes length. That song drags on for too long a bit, but just as you're about to get bored, in comes a cool little solo to put a smile on your face. Also starring is the vocal work, a bit of an hybrid between BM screeches and melodic death growls. It's one of the only times (the only other time I can recall being a Krisiun song) that extreme vocals have actually stuck in my head.

Other than a couple of songs that drag a bit too long, there really isn't much to complain about here. Mog Ruith offer a little gem of addictive material that you just won't get tired of. Why these guys aren't signed yet is beyond me. More exposure wouldn't hurt, as a Google search returned very little relevant results. Those into old school Black/Thrash should definitely give this one a listen. Or fifty.