Release length: 36:24
Review posted on April 25th, 2011
-
Overall Score:8.5/10
Discography
Discography covers all information available up to day of review and is updated if future albums are reviewed.
Full-Length(s):
Raped in Their Own Blood (1996) • Redemption (1999) • Revelation Nausea (2001) • Blood Reapture (2002) • Primal Massacre (2004)
Terrorize Brutalize Sodomize (2007) • Carnage Euphoia (2009) • Opus Mortis VIII (2011)
EP(s):
Anniversary Picture Disc (1999)
Split(s):
Murder Corporation/Vomitory (1999)
Single(s):
Moribund (1993)
Demo(s):
Demo (1992) • Promo '93 • Through Sepulchral Shadows (1994)
-
Review
Vomitory formed back in 1989 and hails from Sweden. Since then, the group has issued a number of releases including several full-length albums up to this point of their career. In 2001, the band signed with Metal Blade Records, and is still with the label, preparing to launch their eigth studio album aptly titled Opus Mortis VIII. While it's been pretty obvious that Vomitory is a band that always leaves an impression with their solid Death Metal recordings, it's pretty much a given that Opus Mortis VIII will continue that strong lineage in material, and for the most part it's an assumption that holds up true.
Opus Mortis VIII is definitely another strong release of primal and brutal Death Metal. The effort starts off rather innocent with a bass driven groovey opening of a slower pace until the music quickly picks up and blasts into the faster paced audio brutality the band is known for. The music does have a bit of a Grindcore blast beat influence and some two-step action discernable in the mix of "Regorge in the Morgue" similar to what one might expect in a top notch Napalm Death, and it does manage to up the intensity level of the song while still remaining true to the band's early Death Metal roots similar to fellow earlier acts of the style such as Cannibal Corpse. The vocals are your standard gutteral approach, and it sound good and often intimidating, however they seem to have some issues. It's hard to tell where the source of the problem lies, but the effect on the vocals seems to hinder the material more then it does to enhance it thanks to their muffled sound. But at the same time, even the music sounds a little muffled and feels hindered by it.
One of the driving forces on this release is definitely the drumming. The music can vary greatly between old-school Death Metal from the early nineties, to a more traditional Swedish Death Metal approach. While the guitars manage to capture all that nicely with some heavy distortion that makes the material sound ungodly crushing, the drumming seems to play a pivotol role in the material moreso then usual. "The Dead Awaken" has a strong approach with the guitars, but the drums really manage to bring the intensity to new levels when execute right, and this song is the perfect example, especially near the end when the bass kicks pick up and the cymbols crash wildly. The snares do come up a bit higher in the mix, but this could be to the raw quality of the music from the muffled sound. "Hate in a Time of War" has it's moments too, kicking off with a slower pace and eventually shifting between a mid-tempo to a faster pace, often finding the drumming to really enhance the material, but more working with the guitars and their general heaviness then trying to push the song along and taking command like with "The Dead Awaken".
No matter how you happen to look at it, and despite the overall audio quality, Opus Mortis VIII still delivers some fantastic Death Metal that's brutal and sickening. "They Will Burn" stands out nicely with it's more groovey sound laced with sickening taw gutterals, despite the audio quality, and makes the song a very catchy track that retains the mid-tempo until the end, feeding off the heaviness of the guitars, controller drumming, and some atmospheric eery bridges. "Forever Damned" is a blistering Death Metal assault that hammers away at the listener from the Thrash-paced introduction to the blistering and crushing music, though the chorus feels a little lacking in range on the vocals. And then you have the closing track, "Requiem for the Fallen", a strong song that pack as much intensity as "Forever Damned", and sometimes a similar speed since some portions happen to move at a slower pace, leaving the album to end on a high note. The general heaviness and sickeningly brutal atmosphere of the album really enhances these tracks, as well as the rest of the album, ensuring that you don't walk out away from this effort feeling like you're in one piece.
So what it sall boils down to is a muffled production quality that seems like the band kind of went into a raw direction that didn't quite work to their favor, coupled with plenty of primal Death Metal songs that go straight for the listener's throat. The music is uncompromisingly heavy, and the vocals could be a little better, but are sick and mnanage to suit the music for the overall quality the songs have. Fans of Vomitory will not be disappointed by this release, as well the general Death Metal masses, but it's not quite a masterpiece of brutality, which is hard to admit since the music sounds like it could have been had it not been so muffled in the final mix.
