Morphia
Poison Minded (Demo) 1997 No Label
This is the demo release of the Dutch doom/death band, which is still available through their website (www.morphia.nl). This release shows us the very beginning of Morphia's career in the Dutch doom scene. Musically and lyrically the band is still in its very early stages on this release. The song structures are quite chaotic and too loose at times and the lyrics on some songs are not very well written. We do have to take in account that they were very young at the time and therefore such things can be forgiven. The music that Morphia brings is modern-day atmospheric doom/death with strong references to My Dying Bride, Anathema and so on. This means that some of the song parts are far from original. However, other parts of this demo reveal a glimpse of the future Morphia was to have. Now, two full-length releases later, the band has created a more original sound and they are among the best that Holland has to offer in the doom scene. Songs such as 'Drawing Tears' and the excellent 'Burried in Mass Graves' show very clearly the direction in which they were heading. The great keyboard melodies and heavy riffing on these parts are very catchy and would define the band's later sound and these are the things that raise this demo above the merely amateur level. Fans of the band might be interested in purchasing the demo, others I advise to check out one of Morphia's excellent full-length albums.	1. Poison Minded 2. Drawing Tears 3. Terror and Hate 4. Racism 5. Burried in Mass Graves Approx. 33 minutes
Reviewed by: Oscar Strik
Unfulfilled dreams (CD) 1999 No Label
Can I have your attention, melacholic soulmates: the Netherlands gained with Morphia a band that is able to take over the legacy of the first Celestial Season albums and the late Officium Triste [Editor note: Officium Triste have reformed]. 'Unfulfilled Dreams' is an excellent album, left comfortably off in every detail and leaning heavily towards the sound of the early Anathema and My Dying Bride masterpieces. Melody and drama are combined following the well-known concept of utterly heavy guitar work alternated with piano and keyboards. The tempo is generally pretty low, and that could be the only problem with this work; the long tracks could use a bit more of contrast, but there is no use picking holes. Buy that album right now, the underground overcomes once again the mainstream.	1. Unfulfilled Dreams 2. Ab Inscientia Depositus Sum (A.I.D.S.) 3. How I Feel 4. My Endless Death 5. Thor's Symphony 6. Desire 7. The Day I Died 8. Ithinielle Approx. 60 minutes
Reviewed by: Kurt de Meulemeester (© Mindview) Translated by Kostas Panagiotou
Frozen dust (CD) 2002 No Label
Morphia is another promising band which chose the difficult path of self-releasing their albums. Fortunately they seem to have found a distributor (fear dark) and they didn't forget to send their second cd to doom-metal.com for a review (which I certainly don't regret). The band hails from The Netherlands, a country with a well-respected atmospheric metal scene (Within Temptation, The Gathering, After Forever…) and this is something one can clearly hear in the sound of Morphia. Melancholic guitar lines, tasteful, symphonic keyboards, a powerful production…are all elements that we already encountered in aforementioned bands. Fortunately, Morphia chose to develop their own sound and their ties with the doom-metal genre are -contrary to those other bands- still very strong. Their vocalists' ultradeep grunt and the heavy, low tuned guitars are certainly not going to offer them a place in the hitparade near Within Temptation's 'Ice queen'. Deep, powerful and self-willed, those guys clearly don't like the 'tralala' type of gothic metal, mixing their bombastic doom/gothic metal with melancholic songs and ethereal guitar lines which could spring forth from Anathema's 'The silent enigma'. The deep grunts are implemented with whispers, clean male vocals and moody spoken parts. Sometimes I expect to hear female vocals here and there (in the good-old gothic metal tradition of Within Temptation or After Forever), but those vocals are fortunately not introduced in a cheap attempt to steal some crumbs from the success of those bands. The music always remains heavy, focused to the metal sound and faithful to its powerful riffs. Are those guys catchy? My god, they are! Just listen to the headbanging inducing 'Wicklow mountains', the powerful main riff of 'When silence fell' or the moving dual vocal lines of 'Again'. Their sound which is both melodic and aggressive at the same time, sometimes reminds me of a rawer (and more uncompromising) version of Trail of Tears. If you're into this kind of melodic doom/gothic metal, don't hesitate. Those guys have everything: the catchiness, the melodies, the good riffs, but also the heaviness, the power and the bombastic outbursts. Band site: http://morphia.nl. The cd can be ordered from their site, so take your chance!	1. Flashback 2. The sun 3. The forest 4. Wicklow mountains 5. Frozen dust 6. When silence fell 7. Again 8. Long lost 9. Forced to obey 10. Emptiness Approx. 53 minutes
Reviewed by: Kostas Panagiotou