Moros
Moros is a Philadelphia based Death Doom band formed in 2015 with Jay Dost on guitar and vocals, John Hauser on bass and backing vocals, and Drew Weston-ball on drums. Their early sound was more sludge influenced with a heavy dose of punk. The band focused on local shows, short tours, a first demo, and several split EPs. Their first full length album “Weapon” was released in 2019 on Hidden Deity. Soon after the first album the world shut down and the band was dormant for a few years only releasing the self produced EP “High As Fuck and Ready to Die”. Over the following years the band started shifting away from sludge and into a deeper extreme metal sound.
“We gradually sharpened our writing style and focused on a more deadly, Death Doom oriented sound” – Jay
After things started to open back up and the band regained their footing, Moros underwent a lineup change and brought in drummer Mike Howard. His addition injected a more violent drum attack and led to the 2025 release of “Recrudescent Horror” EP on Knife Hits. With this EP, Moros moved beyond its earlier punk infused sludge and centered more directly on Death and Black Metal elements. That process continues on “Cemetery Hallucinations”.
“[We’ve been] honing in on our sound beyond simply a sludge band with some death and black metal elements, we forged a much more fierce and focused approach in song writing. “Cemetery Hallucinations” is the ultimate culmination of that process and truly feels like a brand new statement from us, rather than a continuation of where we came from.” – Jay
Writing for “Cemetery Hallucinations” began in summer 2023, resulting in 14 completed songs, including reworked material from earlier sessions. The band also shifted to a standard down tuned guitar setup, moving away from their previous dual sub octave bass and guitar configuration. Cemetery Hallucinations was recorded in summer 2024 at Gradwell House Studio in Haddon Heights, New Jersey. It marked the band’s first time working in a fully professional studio environment. All the tracks were recorded live with overdubs for guitar and some additional vocal sessions.
Moros cites life in Philadelphia, Coffins, Autopsy, Bolt Thrower, Archgoat, and horror movies as core influences. Past projects connected to members include Occult 45, Fight Amp, Sunburster, and Nauseator. Current associated projects include Rid Of Me, Krieg, Malguist, and ANTIHÆLIX.
Cemetery Hallucinations was mixed and engineered by Matt Weber at Gradwell House Studios and mastered by Arthur Rizk. Artwork and layout design were handled by Mike Howard and Julianne Cole.
Contact
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Booking: morosband666[at]gmail.com
Press
“The song proves to be both festering and cataclysmic, and for good measure also inflict a cold-hearted dose of battering-ram slugs and a diabolically screaming guitar solo that sounds like white-hot demon ecstasies. And in addition to being a bone-smashing and a mind-bender, “Consumed By Agony” is also fiendishly infectious.” – No Clean Singing
“The second track, Drowned in Decomposed Remains, is the first preview of the album, splitting time equally between rumbling sludge and chugging death/doom riffs. It’s the most locked-in Moros have ever sounded, likely a reflection of the band’s lineup change that welcomed drummer Mike Howard into the fold.” – Decibel Magazine
“Moros equip their songs with scathing vocals and thick riffs. The elements collide with vicious volts of venom spewing on seven tracks. And while ‘sludge’ is a term initially penetrating the listener’s mind, Moros incorporate punk, hardcore and a thrashy dirge to inject a quicker tempo than that moniker implies.” – New Noise
“Cemetery Hallucinations is pummeling and destructive like an intent war machine, cycling through open doom chords, chugging bombardments and tremolo leads, all framed by vocals hurtling like a far away monster that just noticed you. 3.5/5” – Metal Epidemic
“Overall, this was a solid album. The band’s focus on the deep end of their sound keeps the riffs sounding massive, and towering. Add in the bass, which thickens it up further, and the vocals, which are raging and tortured, and you have a recipe for a good listening experience. 7/10” – Metal Temple
“[T]heir nihilistic brand of sludged-out metal merges the crushing heaviness of death metal with the melancholic atmospheres of doom metal.” – Ghettoblaster
“They have an almighty sound, wonderful production and they can slay Sludge” – Ghost Cult