When we consider the amount of big releases being pushed back because of the coronavirus, you can scarcely tell there’s a shortage of quality music when you look at the number of albums being put forward for April’s Album of the Month. In spite of this eclectic sprawl of candidates though, in my heart I knew Ulcerate’s uncompromising return was going to resonate the most with Sputnikmusic’s userbase. Jacquibim’s hype-fuelled review was a telling indicator that we were in for something special, but to fully understand what was on offer here you had to listen to the unrelenting behemoth yourself. Stare Into Death and Be Still is a career-defining marvel, and it’s clear Sputnikmusic recognises and embraces their efforts.

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April 2020 Album of the Month: Ulcerate – Stare Into Death and Be Still 

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“What Ulcerate have done here, very successfully, is create a tech-death record with huge crossover appeal. The melodies are layered in such a way that picking them out is no chore, much in the same way that a lot of post metal would approach the task, and yet, the familiar trappings of unbound technicality are ever-present. It’s almost uncanny. A beautiful, sludgy, catchy behemoth that punches hard and cuts deep but applies an ample amount of anaesthetic first. A great deal of its success can be attributed to the production, which has been handled exceptionally well. It reveals the music in layers, each element distinct, but unquestionably integral to the whole. Not so much like an onion, no, more like the fine Damascus steel that slices through its very essence and leaves you crying.” – Muppelope