Band:	Ulcerate
Album:	Vermis
Style:	Technical death metal
Release date:	September 13, 2013
A review by:	X-Ray Rod

01. Odium
02. Vermis
03. Clutching Revulsion
04. Weight Of Emptiness
05. Confronting Entropy
06. Fall To Opprobrium
07. The Imperious Weak
08. Cessation
09. Await Rescission

I always wondered what the meaning of art was. As in, what is the main goal for the artist(s)? What would be the greatest achievement? If you ask yours truly, the main goal would be to make something greater than the creator(s) and spectators, a grand monument with such a force that it can stand proud and imposing against anything around it. Ulcerate did just that. Again.

As the short intro begins, an immense foreboding has been made. What follows is the process of overwhelming yet beautiful oppression. Vermis is clearly a more violent affair than the majestic The Destroyers Of All but the atmosphere that delivers both subtle and massive tension has been left intact. The guitars carry the weight of the earth with crushing and unforgiving riffs which get deep inside your head as they writhe in constant dissonance like flaming serpents, which is now the trademark sound that Ulcerate has solidified. Sometimes it's quite a task to catch up with them, leaving you with the thought that letting go is the only way to properly survive the wave. Hellish music should be accompanied by fitting vocals, which has always been the case for these guys. Some might say that the furious growls are monotone in the long run, but the way they are performed more than makes up for it. Talking about ferocity, I wish you good luck trying to follow the pace of the drummer as he delivers the goods in a manner that is nearly frightening. The other half of the backbone is the dense bass that provides the much needed low-end and unsettling density, which is especially prominent in the quieter moments. All these ingredients were thrown into the vortex that is the impeccable production. Everything sounds clear yet there's a smoky vibe surrounding every instrument, making the final result extremely cohesive.

Ulcerate is in a league of its own by now. With their fourth album acting as a culmination of all their work, they also reconfirmed their identity and potential to everyone in the modern metal scene. Vermis is indeed yet another monstrous chapter of a band that has just what it takes to permanently be placed in the books of our beloved death metal cult. Ulcerate will be remembered.