Review by Sonny for Mares of Thrace - The Exile (2022)

Mares of Thrace are a Canadian sludge / post-hardcore duo and The Exile is their third album and the first for almost a decade. The mainstay of the band is vocalist / guitarist Thérèse Lanz who has latterly been joined by drummer and bassist, Casey Rogers (who also produced The Exile), since original drummer Stefani MacKichan departed some time ago. I quite enjoyed The Pilgrimage, although it's been a while since I listened to it, so I was reasonably interested when I saw MoT had a new album coming out. Well now it's here I've got to say I'm impressed and I think it is actually better than The Pilgrimage, mainly due to the fact that it is more doomy than the former release with less focus on the post-hardcore element and as such would always appeal more to an old doomhead like me. Rogers, as producer, obviously knows what he is about because the production is way more suited to a doom-driven album with a thicker, heavier sound than previously. Thérèse's vocals still sound as aggressive as they did previously, the intervening decade not curtailing her vocal savagery one iota. The songwriting seems to have matured somewhat this time around, the songs sounding more complex and the playing more technical, sometimes briefly flirting with atmospheric sludge, all without compromising the band's innate aggression. Overall, something a little different to the usual doom / sludge template and a nice progression from the band.