Exclusive Stream: Extreme Metal Project Moral Collapse Bring Molten Rage on ‘Abandoned Rooms of Misspelled Agony’
Bengaluru artist Arun Natarajan collaborates with guitarist Bobby Koelble, part of legendary American metal act Death and avant-garde saxophonist Julius Gabriel
(from left to right) Arun Natarajan, Hannes Grossmann and Sudarshan Mankad of Moral Collapse. Photo: Courtesy of the artist
After more than a year in the making, Bengaluru metalhead Arun Natarajan’s avant-garde, mad scientist project Moral Collapse will finally have their self-titled debut album out on April 2nd. Following delightfully horrific death metal songs such as “Suspension of Belief” and the debut single “Sculpting the Womb of Misery,” Natarajan has now released another visceral saxophone-infused death metal rager called “Abandoned Rooms of Misspelled Agony.”
While Moral Collapse features drummer Hannes Grossman (formerly of pathbreaking extreme bands such as Necrophagist) and guitarist Sudarshan Mankad, there’s a chockful of guests featured across the 10-track album. “Abandoned Rooms of Misspelled Agony” brings in American guitarist Bobby Koelble, best known for his work on metal frontrunners Death’s seminal 1995 album Symbolic, and experimental saxophonist Julius Gabriel.
Guitarist Bobby Koelble and saxophonist Julius Gabriel contribute to the latest Moral Collapse song. Photos: Courtesy of Moral Collapse
Natarajan says about his collaborators on this new release, “Symbolic is often considered the best album of Death, it’s because Chuck [Schuldiner, vocalist-guitarist] found the best mix of musicians, the most professional, versatile dedicated guys for this album back in 1995 […] There is something very psychedelic about Julius’ approach to this instrument and there is no limitation to what he can do with a saxophone.”
With the album seeing release soon via Natarajan’s label Subcontinental Records, he’s also planned a special black and white splatter heavyweight vinyl release. Seeing considerable interest from around the globe for Moral Collapse, Natarajan calls the project “more of an artistic investment,” especially in terms of completing it during the pandemic. “I’m really excited to hold my own first ever vinyl,” he says.
Up next, there’s also a playthrough video for “Your Stillborn Be Praised” coming next week and of course, a second Moral Collapse album involving different collaborators. Natarajan says, “I think there will be a lotta weird shit going on next time, a more psychedelic noisy provoking blackened death metal experience with some more unusual avantgarde spice thrown in.”
Listen to “Abandoned Rooms of Misspelled Agony” below. Pre-order ‘Moral Collapse’ here.
https://soundcloud.com/subcontinentalrecords/sets/moral-collapse-debut-album
