Review: Bok – Mors Gregis Tape

The Death of the Herd – so it ominously reads on the cover of the new Bok tape. The mysterious project from Amstelveen, which emerged out of nowhere last year with the impressive debut tape Metastasis Dei, manages once again to intrigue. Back then, it concerned an extremely exclusive run of just thirteen copies, each provided with a unique, fully handmade cover. A concept that only reinforced the dark and almost ritualistic atmosphere of the project.

For Mors Gregis, MvG has carried this idea forward with consistency, albeit on a slightly larger scale. This time fifty copies have been produced, yet once again each with a different, individual cover design. No two are alike—a rare display of DIY dedication that is seldom encountered in today’s tape culture. The physical object thus becomes more than a mere music carrier: it transforms into a collector’s item, a personal relic that draws the listener into a kind of closed circle.

The title Mors Gregis—the death of the herd—further underlines the thematic line that Bok seems to be pursuing: a fascination with decay, downfall, and the breaking away from collective structures. Where Metastasis Dei emphasized a kind of sacred transformation, here we hear a more apocalyptic resonance, as if the tape functions as the final chronicle of a vanishing community.

What also stands out strongly on this release is the extremely varied and at times even progressive-sounding Black Metal that Bok delivers. The guitar work is inventive and rich in variation: from icy, repetitive riffs that lull the listener into a trance, to unexpected melodic turns that lend the music an almost exalted character. The song structures rarely follow a predictable path; instead, they unfold organically, with sharp transitions that sometimes grate and at other times feel almost symphonic.

There are also moments when the darkness is suddenly pierced by synthesizer interludes that seem to have escaped straight from the 1980s. These retro sounds form an intriguing contrast with the raw intensity of the guitars and drums, creating a disorienting, almost dreamlike layer that only heightens the atmosphere of the tape.

The result is a captivating listening experience that rises far above the average Black Metal demo. With Mors Gregis, Bok demonstrates not only technical skill but also a strong sense of atmosphere, tension, and originality. The project expertly weaves together tradition and experimentation, making the music feel both familiar and refreshingly new.

It is high time that a label takes notice, for with Mors Gregis MvG has created a remarkable piece of work that truly deserves a vinyl release.

90/100

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