Oppression has been a part of humankind as long as we’ve been walking on two legs on the earth. It seems like only half the globe is even in support of equality and equity for all people, and the other portion can fuck off already. Trying to have control over others and stamping out what we don’t understand is sickeningly human. And it never stops.

Mütterlein is a project helmed by Marion Leclercq (formerly of Overmars), and on her third record “Amidst the Flames, May Our Organs Resound,” the battle against oppressive force ravages over these seven tracks. Leclercq especially focuses on what women have endured over the years, including the cruel experimentation done to them (she specifically cites Anachra Westcott whose story is a goddamn nightmare), and smears a strange cosmic sheen over her post-punk/black metal/electronic devastation. This is punishing, haunting, and menacingly dark, yet alluring enough to pull you into its grasp.

“Anarcha” starts with beats bouncing, offering a nighttime vibe, jabbing with spaciness and sweeping out and into “Concrete Black” that basks in an eerie haze before the drums awaken. Guitars rise as Leclercq’s howls tear into chest muscles, the pace stalking as the guitars stir. This song, like much of the record, feels like a storm hovering, the light elusive, frigid sounds meeting up with plastering drums and a dark aura basking in mournful melodies. “Wounded Grace” has drums driving, dark waves blanketing planets, throaty howls jolting and shaking you to life. The playing is scathing and hulking, the pace pumping while an icy sheen thickens, the momentum pulling and teasing. Immersive, regal synth unfurls as sounds warp, the chaos turning itself inside out. “Memorial One” quivers under penetrating sounds as beats pulse, and a misty push coats with glimmering light. Organs rise as Leclercq goes for clean singing, locking you into a dream cascading over the edge.  

“Division of Pain” rattles as the guitars scar, ravaging as the tensions rise. Howls and desperate singing mix gloriously, power swelling as robotic sounds bend your limbs, the drums re-emerging and teaming with charred guitars to push everything into ash. “Ivory Claws” has synth slithering, beats scuffing, and the singing reigning in the shadows. Keys chill and pulsate as the soundscape gains momentum, feral howls blowing back shrapnel. The aura feels scowling as words are spat like nails, the keys bubble, and you’re pulled deep into the underworld. “Memorial Two” ends the record by layering menacing sounds, ghostly calls, and buzzing heat that numbs. The singing sits in the atmosphere as phantom impulses send shivers, the beats spiral, and the light fades.

“Amidst the Flames, May Our Organs Resound” already is an arresting piece of work before the thematic elements surrounding this piece come to light. Leclercq’s drive to honor all who have been oppressed and, in turn, injured or killed based on that, is a dark, harrowing tribute that blackens skies both mentally and physically. It’s a protest and a genuflection, a place to remember those who paved the way through suffering and a call to arms to prevent activities like that from happening again. The war rages on, sadly.

For more on the band, go here: https://mutterlein.bandcamp.com/

To buy the album (North America), go here: https://debemurmorti.aisamerch.com/

Or here (Europe): https://www.debemur-morti.com/en/

For more on the label, go here: https://www.debemur-morti.com/en/