There is so much to anticipate from the Pacific Northwest death/doom quartet Mortiferum on their debut album Disgorged from Psychotic Depths, released by one of the growing underground metal labels Profound Lore Records. The funereal ensemble offers a splendid take on rotten death/doom metal with eerie riffs, cavernous growls and churning gloomy atmosphere. Following the two demo releases Altar of Decay and KDTF Promo MMXVIII, Mortiferum adopts a rudimentary introduction on their first studio album. Their aural offerings to the cavernous realms of death and doom are presented to please those who have an affection for obscured death metal style. Disgorged from Psychotic Depths exudes slowly into six cuts of malevolence, spewing forth primitive death metal riffs that oozes over the sepulchral atmosphere.

The dreadful opener Archaic Vision of Despair begins through the distorted bass guitar and echoing growls. This brief presentation is emphasized on dark and slow lethargic tempos before the rotten guitar riffs shift into a horrific and frightening reverb. The song structure is built on striking moments of the guitars, while the drums quicken the pace by providing the dynamics. This multi-layered approach to songwriting adds a lot of depth to the music. Mortiferum are cognizant of the layering effect, therefore they ensure to create unearthly and menacing sense of frightening experience.

With an ear catching theme of cavernous death metal, the band unveils its solid adherence to the Finnish and U.S. death metal tradition. Disgorged from Psychotic Depths is brooding and dark soaked with doomful dirges. From the chord progression and the riff work, the guitar spews out the dissonance. These innate abilities are seemingly widespread across the second track Inhuman Effigy, where the drums begin to pound rapidly, grinding between blast beats and crushing pace. Mortiferum have melded their riffs in the old fashioned manner of 90’s death/doom. And while constantly verging towards the aesthetics of the underground Finnish old school a la Rippikoulu and Corpsessed. The guitars sounds filthy and distorted shifting to the doomy plains of Incantation. And with such atmosphere that grows dense and oppressive. Each track is delivered with a putrid slab of death metal, the record is crafted brilliantly to capture the raw quality of sluggish doom metal.

The vocals are uttered in a low pitch and they sound ghostly and cavernous. There is a remarkable level of interaction between the rhythm and the lead guitar. In every track the drums execute many crushing blows and pulverizing double bass. Putrid Ascension is a monolithic eight minutes track stemmed by monumental guitar riffs. This track contains brutality and subtle melodies, yet cohesiveness is another multi facet of this obscure death metal band. The songs encapsulate many eerie moments when the atmosphere becomes dark and foreboding. In all diverse forms, the riffs are remarkably achieved by a band who incorporates plenty of slow riffs.

On Funereal Hallucinations the drums suddenly initiate a crushing double bass with a towering lead guitar surmounting over the gloomy and doomy tempos. Mortiferum wield enormous riffs and mainly they focus on raw compositions but above all, the tracks on the album have unpredictable pattern. Disgorged from Psychotic Depths is a dreary record. The creative and complex songwriting makes the band incomparable to the contemporary bands. The music can pull horrific visions from your mind while slowly binding your soul to uncanny realms of doom. It’s all gloomy and unknown when you listen to Mortiferum, they possesses a sonic capability to churn the atmosphere into cadaverous soundscapes.

Through the heavy riffage and low registered growls, the listener will be immersed by its macabre contents. But who’d expect from a band that can master the principles of death doom to show their musical talents in creating such a soothing and acoustical entry. Anamnesis is a short acoustic and atmospheric interval track filled with somberness. The return to the mournful sound of death/doom on the final track Faceless Apparitions is the most engrossing song on the album; a slow burn, seven minute track built upon heavy riffs and slow tempo. Disgorged from Psychotic Depths is undeniably gloomy and enormously overwhelming. Mortiferum instills the basic rudimentary elements of the Finnish and U.S. death metal. This is one of the best death doom albums to surface on 2019, essential for fans of Krypts, Rippikoulu, and Corpsessed. 

Release Date: October 11th, 2019
Label: Profound Lore Records
Track list:

1. Archaic Vision of Despair
2. Inhuman Effigy
3. Putrid Ascension
4. Funereal Hallucinations
5. (Interlude) Anamnesis
6. Faceless Apparitions