Five years have passed and yours truly thought that German melodic Death metallers Morning Caress where long since dead and buried. Their debut release ‘The Divine Grave’ made some ripples on the underground but before any real momentum could be built the band went into self enforced hibernation. Now they are back looking to make their mark with their new album ‘Inner Exile’. So what has five years done for the band?

Well mellowed them it has not. ‘Inner Exile’ combine’s subdued moments of reflection alongside more nasty, menacing pieces of death, and despite the Death metal mockier which Mourning Caress have found themselves labelled, Gerrit Monr’s vocals lean more toward the metalcore rather than the gruff growls of the more traditional Death metal acts. Which possibly gives the album its biggest juxtaposition, while perfectly suited for the more extreme moments ‘Inner Exile’ offers up the one dimensional vocal approach doesn’t sit so well over the more melodic moments the band try to inject to the album.

‘Corroded By Fear” and “Close To Collapse” are perhaps the stand out tracks, packed with power, purpose and an aggressive groove. Mourning Caress certainly invests a great deal of their emotional self into their music and are sure to be a hit with fans of early Katatonia, but while not as compact certainly are heading in the right direction. All Mourning Caress have to hope is that their next album isn’t another five years in the making.