The fifth track ‘Caudex Of Flesh’ is back to the slower rhythm but still crushes regardless. Just be sure to remove your bong and liquor first. ‘Exhumed From Mortal Spheres’ charges forward at a much faster run that’ll most likely cause you to flip over the nearest table. ‘Seraphic Extinction’ is a slumbering track that’s heavy as hell while creeping along at a snail’s pace. In all honesty, their sound is why we chose Death Metal to start with. ‘Incubus Of Bloodstained Visions’ (what a title!) is along the same lines briefly before erupting into a rapid-paced, decaying mass of putridity.

‘Eternal Procession’ kicks things off with murky death-growls, waspy guitars and plodding drums that remind me of bands like INCANTATION or FUNEBRARUM in different instances. “Preserved In Torment”, with its outstanding cover art depicting a rotting wasteland of dead souls, is down and dirty from beginning to end. Just solid, grimy, mostly mid-tempo Death Metal. None of this tech-death stuff that can go either way.

With only five years of existence and one full-length to their credit, Olympia, Washington’s MORTIFERUM have proven they have the knowledge of what the early bands were trying to accomplish. If there’s anyone who listens to this and doesn’t at least appreciate its goodness, then I’m at a loss for words.

Incubus band screamo