MORDKAUL Dress Code: Blood

I should start by noting that information on Mordkaul is surprisingly limited, but what is known is that the band hails from Belgium and was formed around a shared passion for early‑to‑mid ’90s Swedish melodic death metal. Their debut album, Dress Code: Blood, has been in the works for several years. The drums were recorded by Adrian Erlandsson (At the Gates/The Haunted), and none other than Dan Swanö handled the mixing credentials that immediately set expectations high.

Dress Code: Blood features ten tracks, including a brief intro and the instrumental piece “Eve.” The music is heavily rooted in the classic Swedish sound, and the production mirrors that era as well, raw enough to evoke nostalgia, yet still punchy and powerful by modern standards. Originality isn’t the album’s strongest selling point, but the quality of the songwriting more than compensates. Each track delivers tight, riff‑driven melodic death metal enriched with strong harmonies and memorable melodic lines.

Most of the material leans toward up‑tempo aggression, but the melodic elements are always present, giving the album its characteristic atmosphere. The vocals sit comfortably within the genre’s established range, neither ultra‑low nor high‑pitched screams, but a gritty middle ground that suits the music well.

If old‑school melodic death metal is your preferred flavor, Dress Code: Blood is absolutely worth your time. It’s a confident, well‑crafted debut that pays homage to the genre’s roots while delivering plenty of replay value.

Discography:

Dress Code: Blood (2021)