There are two types of death/doom bands dominating the scene these days: The maggot infested, gore ridden Autopsy worshippers and the hellish, diabolic, drag you through the void Incantation worshippers. Mortiferum falls into the latter. If I wanted, I could end this review here and cynically tell you that if you’ve heard Onward to Golgotha, you’ve heard Mortiferum’s latest album, Preserved in Torment. However, that would be a disservice to both you and I. Not only that, but it would be inaccurate, as Preserved in Torment contains certain facets not heard on an Incantation album.
Granted, when it comes down to the barest elements of Mortiferum, the spirit and ethos of Incantation stands at the forefront: Low riffs and lower gutturals. When they go doom, they unleash the type of foreboding gloominess that drives one to slit their wrists in despair. When they go death, they invoke an animal instinct associated with the most barbaric acts of violence. And when they combine both, there’s no telling where they’re going to go along the way. I’d call them progressive in nature, but the music at hand here is far to primitive to be labelled such.
Preserved opens with “Eternal Procession”. Slow, miserable, and bleak, “Eternal Procession” showcases the Incantation approach taken to the max. Things pick up around the guitar solo, only to slow back down and close with a mesmerizing “voidgaze” passage. Although it serves as a solid opener, it isn’t until “Incubus of Bloodsoaked Visions” that we get the full picture of Mortiferum. We’ve got blast laden death metal, burly doom riffs, and a groovy breakdown section that has more in common with brutal death metal or hardcore than death/doom. Unorthodox as it may sound, it works.
In fact, this approach works so well that the band utilizes it again on “Exhumed from Mortal Spheres” and “Caused of Flesh”, both songs being gigantic and slam-worthy in their own right. I never thought I’d be using such adjectives to describe a death/doom album, but in today’s climate of endless subgenres, hybrids, and crossovers, I shouldn’t be too surprised. I especially shouldn’t be surprised by the incorporation of grind on cuts like “Seraphic Extinction”, “Mephitis of Disease”, and the aforementioned “Exhumed”. 3/4 of Mortiferum makes up grind supergroup Caustic Wound, so it only makes sense that bone pulverizing, anxiety inducing tendencies make their way in here.
Although I’m not overly crazy about this particular style of death/doom, Mortiferum accomplishes their purpose in creating an album that is indeed Preserved in Torment. Their unorthodox approach towards certain songs make this an intriguing listen for anyone with an appetite for extreme metal. Hell, with the days getting shorter and temperatures dropping, it serves as the perfect soundtrack for frostbite season!
6 out of 10
Label: Profound Lore Records
Genre: Death/Doom Metal
For fans of: Incantation, Spectral Voice, Tomb Mold