Review MENTAL CRUELTY “Echoes of a Forlorn Land”

Mental Cruelty take an interesting step forward with their new album. The band broadens its musical scope without abandoning its deathcore roots. Three years after the release of Zwielicht, the Southern German extreme metal outfit introduces new elements into both its lyrics and its sound.

Echoes of a Forlorn Land still delivers breakneck extreme metal, but this time around, atmosphere and melody play a larger role. The mostly acoustic intro to opener “Weltennacht” offers the first hint of what’s to come. As the track grows heavier, its melodic core remains intact. Mental Cruelty used a similar approach on Zwielicht, but here they take it a step further. “Fenrir” brings the band back to its usual brutality with a bloodcurdling scream. Even at full speed, though, the band keeps things under control, as a groove-driven midsection makes clear.

“The Serpent of Midgard” explores the space between deathcore and atmospheric metal. While the lyrics draw on Norse mythology, the music remains far removed from Viking metal. Instead, the band uses these themes to explore a broader musical direction.

“Raise the Raven Banner” is one of the album’s most layered tracks, pairing punishing deathcore with surprisingly melodic passages. The contrast works in the song’s favor, adding variety without sacrificing its weight. It’s one of the record’s standout moments.

“Frost” takes a different approach. Its slow, lumbering opening gives way to a restrained passage before the track gradually powers its way to the finish. Mental Cruelty dial back the tempo considerably, giving the song an added sense of intensity. You don’t need constant speed to make extreme metal hit hard. For me, “Frost” is the album’s strongest track.

“Dämmerbruch” is a brief, piano-driven interlude that sets the stage for “Ride of the Valkyries,” the album’s grand finale. Frontman Lukas Nicolai screams like there’s no tomorrow, but the track has more to offer than sheer vocal aggression. Orchestral passages collide with crushing riffs, bringing the full range of the band’s new direction into focus.

With Echoes of a Forlorn Land, Mental Cruelty deliver an engaging album that captures a band in steady evolution. They build on their established sound rather than leaving it behind, using deathcore as a foundation to push beyond the genre’s familiar boundaries. The result feels adventurous without losing sight of what made the band compelling in the first place.

Worth a listen.