ALBUM REVIEW: Morbific – Ominous Seep Of Putridity

The debut album of Finnish doom-laden Death Metallers MORBIFIC has been unleashed via Headsplit Records. The time to enter the catacombs is upon us.

Putrescent samples begin our descent into the sewers of the Death Metal underground in suitably grotesque fashion, this one is going to be filthy. Charnel riffs and d-beats kick us right into a rotten swing of cavernously vile Death Metal, the old school way. Plunging through gargling riffs, pummelling fills and spewing vocals, the nastiness is certainly dialled up like the distortion powering the crusty guitar tone which is enriched by cleaner doomy moments. The cerebral lead work adds an otherworldly touch to the already eerie sounds while staying rooted in the rotten with no remorse. The back and forth between ghastly slower sections and punishing mid-tempos occasionally picks up into some blasting but usually stays in the lower speeds, crawling with a murky darkness enshrouding everything. The presence of Autopsy influence is not something the band have hidden, wearing their influences on their sleeves with pride. Naturally we can hear the swaying grot of bands like Cianide too in their brand of devastation with a touch of Carnage and Nihilist in the riffs. Additionally Finnish bands like Rippikoulu and Funebre are comparable titans for these newcomers, but back to NOW, this record is off to a ripping start.

Stomping forth with a feral energy that is harnessed to cause utmost obliteration, the riffs and drum work is let loose along with some vomitous vocals and cannot be restrained. Hammering into the skull with some blasts before returning to the creeping doomy parts, there is no denying just how enjoyable this short but festering opus is. In just over 30 minutes we see so much sputum-casting Death Metal rain upon us with no regard for modernity, just pure old school mayhem. The musicianship has some intentionally sloppy moments to it, adding character and an almost demo-like charm to the record, but when those fierce moments occur that the sound tightens up, we can see the talent of this band is not sub-par at all. Like a hammer to the guts, this will hit you straight on or not at all. Pure old school Death Metal morbidity that takes the best of Finland, Sweden and America to give us a brand new mutant. Those seeking truly disgusting Death Metal that worships the 90s, feast upon this cadaver immediately!

A totally crushing debut album that deserves to fester among the other high-quality underground acts as a valuable addition, if one that chooses not to be innovative. Let the stench swirl through your skull and become putrified by the Ominous Seep Of Putridity!