What do you think of when you think of ancient Egypt?  Mummies and pyramids, no doubt, and certainly prominent figures in mythology like Horus, Osiris and Anubis.  And probably Nile, if you’re as musically inclined as you should be if you’re reading this post on this site.  But guess what?!  Nile doesn’t have a trademark on all of ancient Egypt!  That’s public domain, baby, and Maat, while they might not be as ubiquitous in the genre, are also out here putting their own more-classic-less-technical spin on Egyptian-themed death metal.  From Origin to Decay, the groups third full-length, sees them push forward to find their place in the scene and graduate to higher stature.

The last Maat release, Monuments Will Enslave, came to us in 2017, which apparently was a long time ago by rough estimates.  Sigh.  You could say that a lot has happened over at Camp Maat in that time, and that might be an understatement.  Between then and now, the five-piece only has original guitarist Morguloth carried over to From Origin to Decay.  That means a new guitarist, bassist, drummer and vocalist; practically a brand new Maat.  Obviously, the thematic ties of Egyptian mythology still ground the band’s lyrical content.  From Origin to Decay explores themes very common in Egyptian mythology and philosophy: the cycle of birth, death and rebirth, the inner self’s place inside and outside of time and space, and the totality of becoming, being and passing on.  On the music side, all tracks on From Origin were written collaboratively by the band’s new lineup, so naturally it is going to differ slightly from their past releases.  My initial reaction on the differences between Monuments and From Origin is that I think Maat actually sound *less* like Nile on this release that before.  Instead of forging ahead with hyper-technical displays of prowess, the band go for a more groovy, classic sound.  More old Behemoth and Vader than Nile or Necrophagist, but still very heavily steeped in Eastern and Middle Eastern musical ideas.  

As you might expect, From Origin is kind of a statement piece and test of skill for four fifths of the band; none more so, arguably, than new vocalist Baal.  Fortunately, he pretty immediately makes his presence known on opener “Swath of Destruction” with huge, guttural bellows that set his range apart from Maat’s previous vocalist, Thot (not /that/ kind of thot…).  He’s got quite a commanding, authoritative delivery that serves well songs about gods, pharaohs and nobles.  Take, for example, the staccato punctuations he adds to the guitar work on the verses of “To Infinity.”  And as long as we’re talking about the guitars, I think it should be stated again that I applaud what Maat is doing to try to diversify their sonic portfolio.  While they might not succeed at forging a sound that is truly unique yet, you can tell they are, by virtue of having new blood reinvigorate the lineup, pushing themselves to new heights and making a name for themselves.  The songwriting on From Origin sounds much more deliberate and carefully crafted, and embraces ambience, groove and dynamics much more than before.  Regardless of what you thought about their releases in the past, this one is definitely a push in a new direction, one that I think works extremely well for Maat.

Here’s hoping this lineup of Maat is stable and productive for a long time to come, because I think From Origin to Decay is an album the band should hang its hat on and use as a springboard to keep going in this direction.  If they do, they really could see themselves becoming part of that upper echelon of metal acts.  They have all the right things going for them, they always have, but there just might be something special here that they can capitalize on.

— Ian

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From Origin to Decay is available now on FDA Records.  For more information on Maat, visit their official website.