Within the first three minutes of opening track "Atlas of Sorrow", you get an atmospheric segue with flute, followed by a rather beautiful piano-led full instrumental passage, until the suitably heartfelt clean singing comes in. It's not all doom though, as the epic side soon kicks in: there is a very well done aggressive crescendo in that track, and "Godless Commune of Sodom", the next track, is based around an effective fast-paced chorus. Throughout the record you get a well balanced mix of stirring melodies, doom metal valleys and harsher sections where the pace quickens. This makes for an enjoyable listen, as it all remains quite consistent.

While Mael Mórdha will probably have to endure comparisons to countrymates Primordial and Mourning Beloveth for some time, that should really not be necessary, as they do have a distinctive sound of their own. While they imbue their epic doom metal with a warlike feel and Gaelic elements, they have neither Primordial's black metal leanings nor Mourning Beloveth's tendency for death metal elements, and maintain a firm grasp of their own identity. _Gealtacht Mael Mórdha_ deserves attention, as it is a very good record that might appeal to a broad range of listeners.