Blood Mortized – The Key to a Black Heart – 2012
When I first listened to The Key to a Black Heart by Blood Mortized, I was tempted to criticize the production. The instruments blur together, and the dynamics could definitely be sharper. But you know what? I won’t hold that against them. It genuinely sounds like this is exactly what Blood Mortized intended — raw, heavy, and absolutely dripping with old-school spirit. And frankly, it sounds miles better than the early Black Metal pioneers, whose “the worse it sounds, the better” attitude never made any sense to me. I’ve never been able to understand that approach.
That said, The Key to a Black Heart is not a Black Metal album. Blood Mortized proudly identify as Old School Death Metal, and it only takes a few seconds of listening to realize they fit that label perfectly. Musically, this style isn’t usually my home turf — it’s not the kind of sound I love most — but sometimes even something outside your comfort zone manages to fascinate and satisfy.
Chaotic Noise
The album initially struck me as a wall of chaotic noise, although not constantly at breakneck speed, which I appreciated. After three or four spins, I began picking up fragments of the lyrics — quite an achievement considering the genre’s usual vocal approach. After five or six more listens, the subtle layers hidden beneath the aggression started to surface. The bass playing, which at first seemed completely swallowed by the mix, eventually stood out and added new depth to the songs. In short: The Key to a Black Heart is an album that definitely grows on you over time.
Personally, I find myself more drawn to bands who lean towards technical proficiency, and Blood Mortized are not that kind of band. The Key to a Black Heart is a relentless, grinding, traditional Death Metal record through and through. Even though I’m not an expert on the early days of Death Metal, I’m willing to bet this is very close to how the genre originally sounded. If you have a love for that classic, raw Death Metal sound, then Blood Mortized’s The Key to a Black Heart should absolutely be on your radar.
It wasn’t exactly what I was hoping for, but I’m still glad I gave it a fair chance.
