Ulcerate "Everything Is Fire"

Tracklist: 01. Drown Within 02. We Are Nil 03. Withered And Obsolete 04. Caecus 05. Tyranny 06. The Earth At Its Knees 07. Soullessness Embraced 08. Everything Is Fire Release: 2009 Genre: Technical Death Metal URL: www.ulcerate-official.com Label: www.willowtip.com

At the time of 2007 when Ulcerate from New Zealand released their brilliant debut full length album "Of Fracture And Failure" they became immediately one of my favorite new Death Metal bands. They were able to breathe new life into the Death Metal scene without sounding mainstream or like a big musical genre mix. Needless to say how happy I've been, when I heard that they released some new stuff. The first time I saw their newest output "Everything Is Fire" the aesthetic artwork and the amazing layout really catched my attention. The whole artwork looks very untypically for a Death Metal album, but to be honest I think it's great to see that there are still bands outside who try to crush the chains of limitation and be successful with it. Personally I don't need another artwork full of corpses, skulls or pentagrams. The genre Death Metal shouldn't regulate itself that much, if the music is alright. Even more exceptional is the point, that drummer Jamie Saint Merat is responsible, for the outstanding artwork and the whole layout. Well for the layout and artwork they get full marks but let's start with a way more important point, namely the music. Shortly after the first listen I realized that this is no "Of Fracture And Failure" number two but it still sounds a lot like Ulcerate. On "Everything is Fire" the band implements their musical apocalypse which such a brute, crushing brutality that the unpracticed listener will lose his mind. Nevertheless Ulcerate are a band with the ability to insert great melodies despite the dark end time brutality. But that isn't easy to realize because they play away more subtle (and in my opinion more ambitious) as the Necrophagist style clone club. Generally the musicians' style here sounds very strange for a Death Metal band. They don't try to play any Suffocation styled riffing; also they don't use any kind of predictable song structures. Well, you can compare some elements here with newer Gorguts and some Immolation. But these bands are just a small orientation guide, because Ulcerate have created their own sound and style. They have really perfected the handling of dissonant and obscure melodies. As well the musical rhythm here is played very unusual and dodgy and it needs a lot of attention to understand the music. Many important musical details would be lost if you just listen to it in an unconsciously way. In contrast to the previous full length album "Of Fracture And Failure" Ulcerate put more value on the power and strength of slowness. Many songs have extreme heavy slow parts that will overrun you like an avalanche. Those who think that brutality can only be created through blast beats will be disabused here. But even for the blast beat fans there is enough room here because they're using everything very well balanced. Furthermore, we also have some line-up changes here. On "Of Fracture And Failure" Ben Read did the vocals but now they've been replaced by bass player Paul Kelland. Personally I'm really liked Ben's vocals but the voice of Paul is way more suitable for the new Ulcerate stuff. Paul's vocals remind me a lot of Immolation and it fits perfect to the dark music. Also guitar player Michael Rothwell has been replaced by Oliver Goater. The band has become a positive big technical and creative impulse through this. Especially I want to mention the great drumming of Jamie. His constant diversified and innovative drum fills are some of the best I've heard since a long time. This guy is a real pro and has already a place saved in my personal drummers' hall of fame. But what the guitar fraction has done on this album here is fabulous too without using any melodic guitar solos or arpeggio tootling. The frantic rhythms and the amazing riff variety are alone a reason for much attention but they are still able to create an oppressive and dark atmosphere and that deserves some special attention. One point on Ulcerate that has always fascinated me a lot has been fortunately retained and that's the use of slow non heavy parts, which help you to take a breath but still make sure that the fog of darkness becomes more closer. In such moments the band reminds me a lot of Cult Of Luna. What the listener gets presented on "Everything Is Fire" is a true milestone of dark Death Metal art that couldn't sound much better than it already does. A modern classic that is likewise very brutal but also profound. It got a amazing well balanced sound production, sophisticated lyrics apart of murder and homicide and a really long runtime of more than 50 minutes. Everyone who wants to risk a look over the rim of a tea cup and who don't blow chunks when hearing band names like Gorguts or Immolation have to get that album immediately.

Rating: 95 % | from Gore | Date: 26.10.09 | Time: 21:20	shut down