Review: “Mors Mortiys Morte” by Strega

Mixed and mastered by Chris D’Onofrio (Evocator, Infernal Angels, Black Faith) at Atrocity Exhibition Studio, a second burnt offering from Strega awaits in the crypt. Describing their sound as Blackened Hex Heavy Metal, the band throw 80’s Traditional Heavy Metal and Black Metal into a witches cauldron with Goblin-inspired keyboards sections. As if that wasn’t enough, they also use dark fantasy atmospherics and aesthetics to create a theatricality, the twist in the tale being that all the lyrics in Arrakyan, their very own peculiar language.

The unholy trinity of tales of non-euclidean horrors, epic battles, majestic ruined manors and warspells declined begins with the title track “Mors Mortiys Morte“. A cut with flavours of King Diamond, Bewitched and even Nekrogoblikon within its confines, it has an epic quality to it and the group make good use of vocal layering. That means you get shrieked higher pitched moments that sound like nails on a chalkboard cutting against solemn almost spoken word moments as well as the usual harsh ones, the interplay between the three styles pulling everything together along with the impressive 80’s style guitar work. “Inna! Ulthar!” then offers a pomp and circumstance with what sounds like a xylophone adding a unique texture to the galloping drums and flourishing Traditional Heavy Metal guitars. A keyboard solo replaces a guitar one offering a spellbinding moment, the haunted music box finale adding a touch of necessary evil. There’s something strangely uplifting about this collection of tunes that continues into “Aar-Y-Mhana De Vek’Nha” which has some interesting almost choral vocal parts to enhance the bloodcurdling Black Metal screams. Tasteful soloing gives this one a nostalgic charm before the band flirt with some Iron Maiden inspired riffs and that leaves us with something that is good fun in a hammer horror kind of way [7/10]

Track Listing

1. Mors Mortiys Morte
2. Inna! Ulthar!
3. Aar-Y-Mhana De Vek’Nha

“Mors Mortiys Morte” by Strega is out 30th April 2026 via Masked Dead Records and is available over at bandcamp