The Smell of Rain

At this point in my Mortiis album review series, we've talked about all of Mortiis's dungeon synth albums in the 90s. Starting in the 2000s, though, Mortiis decided to leave the dungeon synth genre in exchange for a mix of synthpop and gothic rock, leading to the start of Era II. "The Smell of Rain" was the only album released during this era, however, and not a lot of people remember it. While it's far from being the best, "The Smell of Rain" is still a great album that shows Håvard stepping outside of his comfort-zone to experiment in different genres.

One notable difference from previous albums are the instruments and production. Gone are the days of amateur-sounding synths and roughed-up production. "The Smell of Rain" offers an even more clean and polished sound than "The Stargate", and the synths and guitars sound industrial-like and groovy. The instruments also bring in an atmosphere of joy, but also a daunting fear of the unknown. The atmosphere is great, but works best on the tracks "Parasite God" and "Smell the Witch". Well it sounds good, it also feels strange in a bad way. In the previous releases, there was something about the cheap and uneven production that made the songs feel grounded and unknown. Here, I'd expect these songs to be played on the mainstream radio. While the production is good, I would've liked a bit of roughness.

But one huge problem for me is the vocals. Mortiis returns to doing the lead vocals, but instead of the deep voice he had in albums like "Ånden som gjorde opprør", he goes for a more melodic singing voice, similar to what Sarah Deva did in the previous album. Now most of the time, his vocals are great. Mortiis's freaky personality fits well to the powerful atmosphere, and the voice especially works well in the chorus sections, like the ones in "Smell the Witch" for example. However, there are times where the vocals sound off, like in "Spirit in a Vacuum". His voice sounds more drowsy and feels out of place for the track's more technical melodies. The poorer vocal moments don't completely ruin the tracks, but they feel weird at times.

While the vocals are inconsistent quality-wise, the lyrics are pretty good. The lyrical themes in this album deal with a lot of spiritual and religious themes, as well as some horror elements mixed into it. The lyrics are descriptive and poetic enough to tell a good story, whether it's about putting hexes on people or trying to control a demon. Look at this verse from "Flux / Mental Maelstrom" for example:

The world shut me out.
I see your faces in the sand.
But if I reach out,
You're gonna break my hand.

This short verse is symbolic about how lonely people feel out of place in this world. It is simple, but strong with its angsty tone. And these lyrics are executed further with Mortiis's creepy vocals and the harsh-sounding instruments. While the lyrics have a couple of weak lines, the overall quality of the lyrics are detailed and versatile.

Overall, this album is unique in its own sound. While the production is a bit too clean and the vocals sounding off in some moments, the instruments are rhythmic and the lyrics are exceptionally great in telling a story. I almost wish Håvard made more songs in the short-lived Era II, because he could probably make even better material with the new style he formed. But if you enjoy a darker side of synthpop, this album is for you.

Why he dressed as a troll, nobody ever knew, but sure as hell Mortiis could make some great music. Things had been quiet on the Norwegian's front for a while, but the release of The Great Deceiver last year may have turned some heads towards a career that has known only consummate interest from its beginning until now. Looking at the musical transformations of Mortiis during the 25 years of that career, The Smell of Rain must come as the largest surprise, following on just two years from The Stargate with an about turn in terms of style and presentation, soul-searching (largely) instrumental ambient music becoming sometimes caustic darkwave/industrial rock without warning. What surprises more is the apparent skill with which Mortiis orchestrated the transformation, ushering in another era of his output with almost as much appeal (certainly from a commercial point of view) as his earlier material.

The basis for The Smell of Rain had not yet become the total Nine Inch Nails worship that The Grudge took perhaps a step too far. Here, the industrial elements are not so prominent, the synths taking precedence in terms of melody, which forms a bridge between the floating grandiosity of The Stargate and the goth dance clubs that would begin playing Mortiis songs in the following few years. Mentioning the word "dance" should indicate that this is not an album meriting inclusion on the Metal Archives by its own merits, simply that its composer's musical history aligns it more closely to metal than by style alone. There is a strong element of '90s Euro dance euphoria and programming incorporated into the heavier rhythms and more solemn lyrics of The Smell of Rain, the general aesthetic proving suitable for the rockier proponents of early '80s British new-wave bands such as New Order, though taken just half a step back to include traces of the band's sound when they were still Joy Division. What complicates this description is that many of the songs have a distinct modern-sounding edge to them, which may lead some to think that the music of contemporaries played a bigger part, though that's really not the case. Listening to the aesthetic of a song like 'You Put a Hex on Me', the wash of undistorted guitar plus the vocal harmonies (sort of a cross between choral vocals and poppy "Ooh"s) refuses to live up to the heavy expectations of the metal or even rock communities, though the sense of Nordic wistfulness can be connected to other darkwave acts like The Cure and Depeche Mode.

Crucially, no one is very similar to the sound on The Smell of Rain, leaving the quietness of this album to speak for itself, a feature that becomes more apparent the further one goes through the track list. The hushed emotions of 'Everyone Leaves' hark back to the wasted grandeur of early ambient efforts like Født til å herske, forming a contrast to the more explorative likes of 'Mental Maelstrom', which figuratively crawls over the listener as it emerges from its intro and begins to cover bitter but addictive ground like a mescaline caterpillar transforming us before our very eyes. This song in particular left quite an impression on me as a teenager, so much so that when I was listening to it for the third or fourth time and my uncle phoned asking what I wanted for Christmas, I very nearly told him to look for this album. However, I copped out and said I wasn't sure, after which he bought me a sweater. There's a lesson in that, I guess. In any case, the more forcible moments on 'Parasite God', 'Antimetal', and 'Smell the Witch' make use of sheet metal slabs of guitar alongside the almost symphonic synths to amplify the atmosphere beyond the downbeat musings of many of the other songs. Those are probably my preferred listens, but then again I am a fan of metal with shouting so you should expect me to be biased against the synthpop cuts.

Do I have any complaints about The Smell of Rain? That's kind of hard to say, especially since I'm not terribly familiar with the style of music that Mortiis is playing here. I would definitely say that for songs like this, there is a tendency for some of them to drag a little, particularly the four numbers that extend over six minutes, though splicing the first two tracks with their respective intros was a good idea, because I really can't tell where the transitions lie, so there's no noodling to speak of. In addition, despite making some disparaging comments about the creativity shown (or, rather, not shown) on the more vigorous The Grudge, it would be nice to listen to versions of these songs with more power to them, something that is suggested by the fairly high energy levels but relatively low audio levels, especially those of guitar and vocals, which remain a distorted talking voice almost throughout the album. Then again, this is heavily influenced by industrial music, so there's not much use complaining about that.

All in all, I rather like The Smell of Rain and think that the construction of songs shows the previously unforeseen ability of Mortiis to arrange his music in a catchy manner, as well as maintaining some of the emotional atmospheres of his ambient work. This is possibly his least appealing release in a purely metal sense, though that's no reason to look down on a very decent effort.

Word of advice: If gothic industrial dance music is not your thing, you should avoid this. This is an acquired taste, and if this isn't your mug of ale, do not waste your time with this.

I personally love it. It's got to be the best-executed album in this genre I've heard. I spent a good chunk of time "gothin' it up" at a local gothic dance club, and if they played any song off this album there I would shit bricks with happiness. It's well-rounded, emotional and inward yet not angsty or emo in any way. There is a balance of composition and accessibility that I see rarely elsewhere. Putting that a different way, this is both catchy upon first listen and still ear candy after several listens. A lot of effort was put into this, and it shows.

If you are new to industrial/ebm, I will describe it for you: machinistic beats, occasional guitars, gloomy atmosphere, heavy use of synths, and a decidedly "80's" atmosphere. Industrial vocals are something that take getting used to; if you don't like them, you probably won't like this. I, however do. Mortiis presents a decidedly "metal" take on the industrial/ebm template, and adds another dimension to the music I had been wanting to hear more of.

Of course, do not confuse a "metal" take for being metal in any way. This is not metal, not in any stretch of the imagination, and if you listen to this with a "metal" mindset you will not like it. Listen to it with an "industrial" mindset and you will be pleasantly surprised by the liberal use of guitars and gloomy atmosphere.

Choice cuts: Scar Trek (Parasite God)
You Put a Hex on Me
Everyone Leaves

Skip-worthy songs: Not on this album, guys. I would recommend every song on this album.

Recently I’ve been giving 100% ratings to albums. I really hate to do this, but since I discovered this album I’ve been listening to it nonstop. It’s an all around great album. This album will appeal to industrial music fans and black metal fans.

The atmosphere on this album is probably my favorite aspect of the whole thing. The industrial sounds give it a futuristic feel, while the synth gives it a more eerie Halloween, darkness feel. The whispery creepy vocals build up with the atmosphere already created by the aforementioned things. With all of these elements coming together it builds an immense atmospheric wall that will make you want to dress up as a troll and go to a dance club. I’ve never really liked this kind of music, but thanks to this album it has opened up a new door for me. So I owe it that much.

The music is very much different from his past efforts. No longer is it ambient driven music. Now there are heavy distorted guitars with blaring riffs. His vocals don’t really give off too much of a range, but this is okay with me. The area he stays within singing is perfect for this album. His voice is eerie and powerful giving way to his symbolic lyrics.

All in all, excellent album, great industrial album. Get it.