OCCULT LULLABY - MUERTE

Sinister narrative? Check. Destructive briddim? Check. Caps lock on? CHECK.

I was actually half tempted to write this entire review in full caps, but that would be obnoxious to read. But from the cover art to the song titles, to the haunting sound choices placed behind superbly dark basslines, "OCCULT LULLABY" packs a staggering punch behind its shadowy facade. MUERTE's affinity with embedding dark themes into riddim is on spectacular show here, because it doesn't feel *too* edgy (as most projects of this style are), and instead has a fantastic atmosphere paired with calculated, eerie sound design, and a few well-sung and well-mixed vocal features. Presenting a troubled narrative, sinister at times and destructive at others, "OCCULT LULLABY" opens with an orchestral intro track in "DAYSTAR", and the rest asserts itself—asserts itself, specifically, by wielding strong basslines and big dubstep kicks and surprisingly grand production. The production is actually quite dynamic—not what you come to expect from dubstep of this style—as each drop is different, each song is different, and each idea is refreshing and hard-hitting in equal measures.

"OCCULT LULLABY" is one of those career-defining projects, and for MUERTE as a bass outfit, I am very intruiged as to where this leads, because this EP is fantastic. It's not perfect—sometimes it can feel a little repetitive, as is a common pitfall of this genre, and at other times it can feel a little too edgy, even if MUERTE have struck a pretty solid balance—but it is a very well-made project, no doubt about it.