REVIEW: Euphrosyne - Morus

Weighted by the inexplicable grief of losing one’s mother, Euphrosyne have repurposed

that burdened blanket, woven the most beautifully haunting melodies into the fabric, and

bundled that black metal onslaught into Morus. It’s a catharsis unlike any other. The debut

album – with Efi Eva on vocals, lead guitarist Alex Despotidits, Stelios Pepinidis on drums, and bassist George Gazis – permeates your very being with the emotional depth of every note, a meticulous measuring of intensity that leaves you breathless in its wake.

Title track ‘Morus’ lulls you into this serene soundscape of spoken word; although it is no less suffocating in its simplicity, it’s perhaps the most profound depiction of melancholic

tension that the album reflects. The liminality of mourning crescendos into ‘July 21st' and

we have the visceral introduction of vocals. A pitter-pattering of piano keys orchestrates

the fray of violin whispers before Eva lets out an anguished scream, creating an almost

tangible sense of grief. We’re barreling through a form of melodeath, with drums going ten to the dozen and some truly stunning lead guitar work, leaving no stone unturned.

‘Valley of White’ diligently rotates this Grecian urn of an album. Distorted riffs shift

between brutality and beauty before transitioning into a melodic minor of musing, and it is

beautiful. Almost industrial in its heaviness, Eva’s soaring vocals somehow add a

tranquility to the blackened fury. Whether that be the doom-laden chords or the primal

screams that feel like they’re coming from a place of unimaginable pain, the dynamics on

this song are tight and masterfully weave together atmospherics with a crushing

heaviness. The way Euphrosyne uses space and silence to build tension is nothing short of

masterful.

Arguably the most poignant peak of the album is ‘Mitera’. Sung entirely in Greek, the

quietude of the track is still a cacophony of noise both introspective and imposing, yet it

captures the essence of post-black metal in a way that feels almost spiritual. Despotidis

seems to carry this weight of despondency with each twang of the plectrum until Eva’s

vocals - intertwining themselves so comfortingly within the strings - pierce through to

release that hope in one fell swoop.

This impression is erased when the band resumes its dark dissonance on ‘Funeral Rites’.

Exploding into a blistering assault of melodic abrasion, the rhythms howl with heart

wrench. It is guttural. In fact, one of the most striking aspects of Morus is Eva’s incredible

range and versatility; her ability to seamlessly transition between clean, serene vocals and

harsh, tortured screams is awe-inspiring. Many bands would need two vocalists to capture

the emotional range that Eva conveys on her own.

You can feel the pain and sincerity in every note she sings - especially when she’s tackling

such a raw, difficult subject matter - that we truly believe she’s taking the genre to new

places. The track is one of the album’s most contrasting, letting its ominous tones haunt

the entirety of its riffs, yet that is before ‘Asphodel’ and its gentle melody grows bolder. It’s

an overwhelming soliloquy to death and the perfectly accompanying haunting vocals that

grow in scope.

We find ourselves arriving at our final destination of ‘Lilac Ward’, a sprawling soundscape

of eight minutes. Euphrosyne lose themselves between these textures that will surely

differentiate them later on in their career and it is pure catharsis. Offering closure to the

pain that has bled through every track before it, it’s clear they don’t shy away from the

weight of its subject matter. The grandeur of these Greek artists and how they distill every

note, every scream, every guitar line into a visceral experience is truly commendable.

Morus is an album that doesn’t just take you through its themes of loss and grief - it forces

you to feel them.

There’s an underlying sense of finality to every track, a relentless march toward something

inevitable; even when the band brings their sound down to a whisper, there’s always the

looming sense that something heavier is on the horizon. Euphrosyne have crafted

something truly unique - the pain that Despotidis and Eva have poured into this music is

palpable - and it’s this emotional depth that makes the album so compelling. We imagine

that Morus will find a place in many listeners’ rotations during moments of mourning and

personal reflection. An ode on a Grecian record.

Score: 8/10

Morus was released on March 21st 2025 via Black Lion Records.

Words: Talia Robinson

Photos: Euphrosyne