Morax - The Amulet

Angry Metal Guy 60

Way back in 2019 we reviewed the Norwegian thrash act Inculter and lavished much praise upon their Fatal Visions album. We then somehow slept on 2023s Morbid Origin completely because mistakes were made. Now we get the solo project by Inculter guitarist/vocalist Remi Andrè Nygård and it’s an altered beast of a different color. Rather than another crazy thrash attack, Morax is Remi’s one-man, do-it-all-yourself vehicle for exploring his love of classic 80s heavy metal sounds. In particular, that sweet spot where Mercyful Fate rubbed up on NWoBHM and style. Throughout The Amulet you’ll be transported back to 1983-84 and reminded of a variety of early metal acts, but it’s those Fate albums that get the bulk of the hat tips as gloriously catchy old-timey riffs fly left and right. With these caveats, you should know what to expect here. Riffs, and MOAR riffs, all from the golden age of metal.

After a very table setting, 80s-centric intro piece, the real fun begins on “Belial Rising” which is 5-plus minutes of 80s-soaked guitar heroics forced together into an epic song. The riffs here are aces, with one sharp, hooky lead after another as Remi threads the needle between various 80s acts with a rowdy, raucous Mötörhead-adjacent energy bouncing off classy, smooth NWoBHM leads and solos that reek of Satan. It’s a wild ride with so many cool, vintage guitar moments that it’s impossible not to enjoy for seasoned geezers like me. The segment from 3:17 to the end is easily my favorite piece of music this year and it keeps me coming back for more. “A Thousand Names” is also first-rate, full of badass riffs and harmonies as Remi warbles and raves as best he can. You could easily imagine this coming out in the early 80s and it comes from a sincere love for the time period.

Unfortunately, the songcraft is a bit inconsistent as The Amulet plays out. There are a ton of good ideas and slick, memorable Mercyful Fate-esque moments in the 8 minutes of “Seven Pierced Hearts” but it definitely runs too long. Cuts like “The Snake” and “Phantom Sleeper” are good with great moments but can’t rise to the level of the album’s first few cuts. Things improve for the epic denouement “The Descent” which feels like a flight through the In Solitude and The Night Eternal catalogs (i.e. new takes on Mercyful Fate’s classic style). If the writing was just a little more consistently strong, this thing would be a contestant on Steel‘s Best of 2025 Hunger Games Elimination Derby. As it stands, it’s an enjoyable nostalgia bomb with several totally killer tracks. At a concise 40 minutes, The Amulet plays out briskly, with only “Seven Pierced Hearts” bogging things down slightly. Remi’s production is 100% authentic to the era it’s inspired by, and he couldn’t have made it sound any more like a product of the past short of releasing it on 8-track.

Remi handles everything here, from guitars to bass to drums, and does a pretty damn impressive job. His guitar work is the star, of course, and he shows himself to be a true lover of 80s metal, crafting so many smoking riffs I can imagine rocking out to in my bedroom back in 83-84. This is one of those albums worth hearing for the riffs alone, even if they don’t always translate into great songs. He does a lot to invoke the Sherman/Denner dynasty of amazing dual axe warfare but incorporates enough outside influences to keep things a little unpredictable. His vocals are raw and unpolished but mostly get the job done, though he’s limited in his range and ability. He almost sounds like a mix of Brian Ross of Satan / Blitzkrieg and Schmier of Destruction which is a unique spot to land in.

As a veteran of the 80s metal wars, I can’t resist albums like this and I had to fight my worser angels who wanted me to overrate The Amulet just because it was so damn vintage. There are some very good to almost great moments here, but the overall package is just shy of a higher mark. I’ll be returning to this in the future though and those high moments make it a rewarding spin. Morax is onto something cool and I hope this isn’t a one-and-done for Remi. If you want to marinate in the sounds of the past and attend a few dangerous meetings, Morax has the Melissa biscuits you need.



Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 10 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: High Roller
Websites: morax.bandcamp.com/album/the-amulet | facebook.com/morax6669 | instagram.com/moraxmoraxmorax
Releases Worldwide: February 21st, 2025

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