I have been binging on all things dark as of late, so this EP could not have come at the better time. And even though there are only two tracks on it I decided to go ahead and review it as a resident Peccatum fan.

I have never been privileged enough to share the same walk in life with my wife. Not many men are. Ihsahn is lucky that his life partner Ihriel shares the passion and the talent to create music. And when two people love each other and share the same passion, what would be the limit to their creation?

You can say that in a way The Moribund People does and does not begin where Lost in Reverie left off. The EP certainly does not go back to the art-metal days of Amor Fati. The couple is still exploring dark avant-garde percussive rock realms. However, and that may be the result of the short EP, both original tracks on The Moribund People are more straightforward and concise affairs that just about anything on Lost in Reverie. Peccatum goes directly to the point, as if there was no room for prolonged intros, floating synths and million sound effects. Especially the eponymous track, which is being carried by gentle melodies and Ihriel delivering an excellent vocal performance with a rare duet and almost background scream from Ihsahn. As much as the music is caressing, the video is stark. Black and white, it portrays the demise of the soul, “beautiful ballet dancer”. Having entered this world of the “righteous content mass” the soul passes on, its face becoming a mask produced by the man’s own blood. Pretty powerful imagery, the way I interpret it. A Penny’s Worth of Heart has more of the weirdness, more bubbling electronica, but also more of Ihsahn’s both torturous and cleansing screams.

The last track of the EP is the cover of Bathory’s For All Those Who Died (from Blood Fire Death). I don’t recall the first 3 min of that track to contain piano and female vocals, but you figure Ihriel had to pay homage to Quorthon as well, and that was the only way. Midway through the song the real cover starts. Even though the production is much cleaner than the original, Ihsahn perfectly captures the spirit of putrid blackened Motorhead inspired thrash.

If the next album is going to be anything like the two original tracks of this recording we will be in for a dark delicatessen delight.