One-man blackened doom-drone institution Mizmor (מזמור) has been active for over a decade. Despite that fairly lengthy run, new platter Prosaic is only the fourth full-length from Portland, Oregon-based mastermind A.L.N. While there are also numerous collaborations, splits and EPs, Mizmor is primarily defined by the epic Cairn (although its predecessor, Yodh, is also no slouch). As Roquentin opined in his 4.0 review, Cairn, “while dripping with melancholy and sonic brutality, is always delicately beautiful”. Since that record dropped in 2019, there have been several further non-album releases, two of which—Wit’s End and Dialetheia—I covered on these very pages even though, as an EP and collaboration, respectively, they were not typical AMG fare. The fact that I did so, and that the editors did not simply delete those reviews accidentally on purpose (maliciously), derives principally from the stature of Cairn. And yet, on each of A.L.N.’s non-full-length releases since, it feels as though he is trying to do something different with Mizmor, and present a different facet of that project, and therefore of himself, rather then pressing repeat on his defining release. What, if anything then, is to be read into the choice of Prosaic, as his new album title?
Lacking imagination or originality is not a charge that I have seen directed at Mizmor, and certainly Prosaic launches out of the blocks in an onslaught of blackened doom, with even some sludgy nods thrown in. Fast, bludgeoning, and furious, initially it feels like a cleaner version of Mizmor’s self-titled debut, with more than a bit of Yellow Eyes and Primitive Man thrown into the mix on opener, “Only an Expanse.” As the album progresses, however, more complex and contemplative moods enter the fray, as the drums throttle back, those rumbling, cavernous guitars slow and A.L.N.’s vocals shift from rasping barks to tortured roars. An extended instrumental, acoustic passage part way through “Anything But” sounds light, clean and, dare I say it, almost hopeful in tone, before that sense is smashed apart again by a brutal blackened doom passage.
Prosaic is less smothering and less claustrophobic than Cairn or Yodh, yet it retains much of the intensity that Mizmor embodies. A.L.N. has spoken of how draining he finds the process of making records, where he falls into a hole, losing perspective on what he’s doing. He says that he wanted to see if, in Prosaic, he could make a record he was proud of without going to that place. This comes through in the sound of the record, which is freer and less predictable (like the harrowing guitar lead that sears into “Only an Expanse” around the nine-minute mark) but maintains some of the grief that lies at the heart of Mizmor’s work. The percussion-free, guitar-only section at the end of “Anything But” feels as despair-filled as anything else on Prosaic. Similarly, A.L.N.’s vocals range in style, with the strangled rasping on closer, “Acceptance”, expressing a different side again.
With Prosaic, Mizmor has delivered another emotive and brutally honest record but, at the same time, loosened the creative shackles a bit, allowing more fluid transitions between different aspects of the sound. Whether it’s the repeating, echoing refrain midway through “No Place to Arrive,” the tremolos that launch “Anything But” or the crusty black avalanche that opens the record, the whole remains cohesive. The production is rich and full, imbuing Prosaic with an almost warm, enveloping feel that belies the fact it is still a dark, harsh and, in places, abrasive record. Undoubtedly an easier listen than much of A.L.N.’s previous work, whether that is a positive or a negative for Prosaic is, I think, a matter of perspective.
Excellent musicianship and well-crafted songs are deployed across a modest runtime (just 46 minutes) that gives you all the Mizmor you need but no more. There is a lot of credit in Prosaic’s ledger and, to return to the question I posed earlier, there is also no world in which you could say this is a record lacking imagination or originality. While still unquestionably Mizmor in much of its sound, the record feels vibrant and alive. It’s also one I will more frequently, and more willingly, return to than the heart-rending monoliths that are Cairn and Yodh. However, and the irony of this is not lost on me, it lacks the same soul-crushing intensity of those earlier records and, with that, loses maybe 5% of their emotional impact. That said, I am glad that A.L.N. has found a process that works better for him as a person and this is a very good record that he should be very proud of.
Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Profound Lore Records
Websites: mizmor.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/whollydoomedblackmetal
Releases Worldwide: July 21st, 2023
