Akin to the well-earned frights of a slasher film, Stalker finds Sydney band Mourners at their most satisfyingly menacing.
Mourners confronted their demons on new heavy metal single, Stalker. It marks the Sydney band’s first release since adjusting their lineup, with drummer Josh Maestrelli taking the reins from previous bandmate Michael Nielsen.
Grungy in every sense of the word, Stalker brims with the kind of dark, edgy energy you’d expect from doom metal enthusiasts, with thick and menacing vocals coming courtesy of Mourners bandmate Alex Mokrov.
Helping him along is Maestrelli, whose thunderous handiwork and clashing cymbals add texture to the production. For their part, both Mokrov and guitarist Zac Borkowski underpin Stalker with strums so screechy and hair-raising you’re destined to end up with goosebumps.
All the staples of doom rock are there, from the sinisterly slow tempo to the guttural and distorted vocal performance. And while the doom descriptor might elicit unwanted emotions on your first listen (it’s supposed to), there’s plenty of cathartic joys to also be found throughout Stalker.
There’s a climactic moment on the song’s bridge that brings a sense of euphoric release, as the ascending instruments dissipate with satisfying finesse.
Elsewhere, the sludgy rhythm of the track seems purpose-built for a subtle head-bop, and a riotous drum solo in the latter moments is nothing short of thrashing.
All of this makes for a disturbing yet captivating experience, akin to the gratifying chills you encounter during a slasher horror film.
Stalker is exactly the kind of track you’d blare with your car windows up during an evening commute, without care for nosy onlookers.
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Lyrically, Stalker tells a story of confronting anxiety. It might be difficult to discern Mokrov’s vocals in his enrapturing, droned-out timbre, but most of Stalker’s fun is derived from the sonic aesthetic itself, and the myriad of personal experiences an individual listener can bring to it.
Stalker is the first single released under Mourners’ new lineup, though the band has been hustling in the scene for quite some time.
The Sydney rockers first formed in August of 2020, and went on to play a slew of live shows in their hometown, Canberra and Melbourne throughout 2021.
The band’s first official single Noose arrived last year, before a change in the lineup ushered in Stalker and a promising new era. And what an unmissable era it will be. Listen to Mourners’ new single Stalker below.
