By: Josh McIntyre
Album Type:
Full Length
Date Released: 24/04/2020
Label:
Debemur Morti Productions
“Stare into Death and Be Still” CD//DD//2LP track
listing:
1).
The Lifeless Advance
2).
Exhale the Ash
3).
Stare into Death and Be Still
4).
There is No Horizon
5).
Inversion
6).
Visceral Ends
7).
Drawn Into the Next Void
8).
Dissolved Orders
The Review:
My
love for Ulcerate is no secret. I truly feel that
they are the best death metal band since Immolation and Gorguts at the turn of the century, both bands which are
crucial influences. Ever since 2009’s landmark record “Everything Is Fire”, Ulcerate have explored their twisted-yet-atmospheric sound
with great consistency in terms of quality and earned much acclaim as a result.
Listening
to the band feels like falling into a whirlpool, not knowing where you’ll end
up. The guitar lines pull themselves apart and together again, backed by a
foray of beating drums which are full of tricks and fills even at the quietest
moments. The band sways back and forth, up and down in almost jazz-like
fluidity while the vocals and bass serve as an anchoring point to grab onto.
“Stare
into Death and Be Still” is absolutely a continuation of
these elements yet it also comes off as more melodically focused. Guitars still
warp around but certain harmonies sound more doom metal than in past material.
As a result it comes off as more sorrowful, appropriate for an album themed on
death. All of their key influences appear the same and the complex layers are
still there, just in a slightly less dissonant format. Ultimately, the band
sounds as if Neurosis played two Morbid Angel
songs simultaneously.
The
other noticeable change is in the production. The guitars in particular sound
EQ’d more on the high end with this record which has added some more clarity
than usual, as if a bit of smog has been lifted. I find it to be a slight
improvement in terms of sound quality. Everything sounds really punchy and
direct, with only the vocals being appropriately drenched in reverb like a damn
beast in a deep cavern. Thanks to the mix the beast sounds like a hole has been
made for him to shout into rather than him being drowned out by the insanity of
the music.
If
someone asked me to rank Ulcerate’s discography
I don’t think I could do it. However, “Stare into Death…” is absolutely
another gem to be added to the collection and another achievement that shows
why New Zealand hosts the greatest death metal band of the 21st century. Seeing
the band on their 2016 tour (where I was also introduced to the amazing Zhrine) left me wondering how the hell humans can write
this music and perform it. I still don’t quite get it but I’m damn glad that
these three have somehow figured it out.
“Stare
into Death and Be Still” is available HERE
