Ulcerate Everything is Fire |
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 | Tracklist:
1. Drown Within
2. We Are Nil
3. Withered and Obsolete
4. Caecus
5. Tyranny
6. The Earth At Its Knees
7. Soullessness Embraced
8. Everything is Fire
| Ranking: #49 for 2009 | |
| | other reviews | Ian W. (4.5)
Ulcerate has managed to craft a truly superb album combining atmosphere and brutal death metal... |
On 151 Lists
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| Summary: Ulcerate takes a huge step up and crafts a crushingly dense and atmospheric album. |
5 of 5 thought this review was well written
Ulcerate, hailing from Auckland New Zealand, have been a rising star in technical death metal. 2006 saw the band’s release of their first full length “Of Fracture and Failure”, a blistering assault of precise and twisted death metal. It was easy to see the band had some unique ideas going on, especially for the genre. “Everything is Fire” takes some of their more abstract and atmospheric themes and refines them. When you think of technical death metal, atmospheric is not usually a term that comes to mind. While there are some points that bring to mind Isis and Neurosis, most of the atmosphere feels closer to that of a Deathspell Omega album. Mixing the bleak atmospheric refrains into a swirling maelstrom of mind melting blast beats and discordant riffs, the band treads on new ground. It’s like watching the world slowly, violently pulled into a massive vortex.
Drown Within begins with a huge stomach churning; lumbering riff that slowly builds up to chaos. The totally unpredictable patterns of the riffs, drums, everything in general is very oppressive. With more listens you catch the infernal beauty of what is going on. This is not something that can be digested in a few listens. Most tracks are in the 6 minute range and have insane, monstrous structures that can challenge the listener. The production has a rawer and hazy sound to it than their previous effort but all of the instruments and vocals still mix together well. The vocals serve their purpose but don’t have much range. They might bore some listeners eventually or take some getting used to. The deep, grating vocals fit the bands dense sound well.
Caecus and Everything is Fire are the stand out tracks on the album for me. Caecus wastes no time by beginning with one of the most relentless assaults on the album. After the two minute mark, the firestorm begins to subside and the listener waits for the next wave. Everything Is Fire features a black metal inspired intro riff that soon dissolves into total dissonance as the vocals growl “We are lost without fate, Reap what we have sown, We diminish, all nameless.” The lyrics are just as crushing and bleak as the music, painting a burning, smoldering landscape of oblivion. While hardly unique, the lyrics still bring something a little more thought provoking to mind than some of their blood soaked peers.
“Everything is Fire” will probably not receive the recognition it deserves. I stated before the album requires some focus and time to completely enjoy. Not everybody listens to death metal for a challenge. Regardless, this album is one of the top death metal releases this year and has held my attention much longer than most technical death metal bands can. Ulcerate have taken a step big forward and created something unique. Hopefully they will be rewarded for their exploration into sonic oblivion.
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| Recent reviews by this author | | | |
still not sure how I feel about this band, review was pretty ok though
2006 saw the band’s release of their first full length “Of Fracture and Failure”. It was a blistering assault of precise and twisted death metal. combine those two just so the next sentence reads smoother, and the whole intro is a bit jumpy
| | | Album Rating: 3.5
About time this was reviewed. Album is dank, dope, fresh, the cat's pajamas, whatever you want to say. Not a bad review either.
Digging: Botanist - I: The Suicide Tree / II: A Rose From the Dead | | | Album Rating: 4
Thanks for the suggestion, I didn't read over it a ton yet. I'm going to put it on examiner.com so thanks for catching that. I have the song names italicized, I always forget it doesn't transfer from word. Also, I'm not trying to be annoying and spammy but check out the review here too if you would - http://www.examiner.com/x-16267-Charlotte-Metal-Music-Examiner~y2009m7d21-Ulcerate-Everything-is-Fire-Review
Digging: Aluk Todolo - Odre | | | Album Rating: 4.5
Yeah about time this was reviewed. This is so fucking good.
Digging: Gorguts - Obscura | | | Album Rating: 5
best album of 2009
Digging: Stagnant Pools - Temporary Room | | | Album Rating: 3.5
Whoa!
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
it's gud but not that gud.
Digging: Love American - Disquiet | | | Album Rating: 2.5
oooh tech death. I'm in.
| | | Album Rating: 5
yes it is
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
I actually agree with Anthracks. Album hurts so good.
And this isn't conventional tech-death like like Suffocation or Cryptopsy. It's a lot denser and...sludgier almost. It's kinda like if
Suffocation had a bastard child with Isis and Meshuggah.
Also the drumming is ridiculous.
| | | Album Rating: 4
I'll agree with it being in the top DM albums this year, maybe the best.
| | | Album Rating: 5
album is amazing
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
SOULLESSNESSSSSSS EMBRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACED
| | | Album Rating: 5
SUBVERT
THE FALLACY
A DYING BREED
ON THEIR KNEES
| | | Album Rating: 5
Suffocation had a bastard child with Isis and Meshuggah.
definitely not
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
Eh the trippy/atmospheric sections remind me a lot of Catch 33. That's the best I could come up with lol.
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So this was already on my to check out list, but this review has made me move it up higher so I can check it out sooner, probably in the next few days.
Digging: Everything Went Black - Cycles of Light Digging: Everything Went Black - Cycles of Light
| | | Album Rating: 4
this rules
| | | Album Rating: 3
I probably need to listen to this again.
| | | Album Rating: 2
this is cool but thats about it
Digging: Neurosis - Times of Grace Digging: Neurosis - Times of Grace | | | |
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