MORTIIS SMELL OF RAIN ALBUM EARACHE RELEASE: OCTOBER 22, 2001 REVIEW: OCTOBER 25, 2001

If all depressions had endings like this, the world would surely be a nicer place. Norwegian troll-prince Mortiis has never sounded better.
He has said that "Smell of Rain" is a kind of therapy-project and now he feels a lot better. Well, he should. When "The Stargate", good as it was, best could be described as kind of cinematic and ambient, "Smell of Rain" rocks. But not in a death metallic Emperor kind of way. No, more in a Nine Inch Nails and Sisters of Mercy fashion. And that doesn't cover it by far.
Mortiis grips the listener with his industrial synth rock right from the Start, in the brilliant "Scar Trek/Parasite God", and almost never lets go. There are two, and only two, reasons this record doesn't get a higher grade. One: the production and mixing aren't quite state of the art and from time to time "Smell of Rain" sounds like it was recorded in a cheap studio in 1983. Two: The uneven song material.
But, that aside: one of the best albums of the year. And hey - Mortiis can sing!

KALLE MALMSTEDT