MORBID INTENT's debut EP Marionettes brings the Finnish band's previous singles ‘Ashen Veil’ and ‘Vitriol Shards’ into a five-track release through Inverse Records. The announcement gives October 16 as the release date, with the Oulu group drawing on classic Gothenburg melodic death metal and the aggression of modern extreme metal.
According to the accompanying press release, that combination runs through the EP's fast blast beats, aggressive guitar riffs and haunting melodies. The material continues the musical direction established by the two singles, whose music videos accompany the announcement.
The lyrical focus is on the human consequences of destructive relationships and behavior. Across Marionettes, the tracks explore how oppression, manipulation, hatred and toxic communication affect the psyche. Those themes provide the context for a release that places melodic writing alongside the force of its extreme metal influences.
The running order opens with ‘The Night Draws Near’, followed by ‘Ashen Veil’, ‘The Manipulation Doctrine’ and the title track, before ‘Vitriol Shards’ closes the EP. Both previously released singles therefore appear within the debut's complete five-song sequence.
Formed in Oulu, MORBID INTENT feature Juha Väyrynen on vocals and synths, guitarists Juho Näppä and Mikko Lavander, bassist Janne Karjalainen and drummer Jimi Myöhänen. The supplied biography notes that the members collectively have experience in Mors Subita, Electric Deathbeat, Swansong and Se, Josta Ei Puhuta; it does not assign those connections to individual musicians.
Eemeli Bodde of EVB Audio handled mixing and mastering. Nikos Stavridakis of VisionBlack created the EP cover, while the accompanying band promotional photograph is credited to Cristian Koitla.