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VLTIMAS ‘Something Wicked Marches In

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The term ‘Supergroup’ definitely gets bandied about way too often. Often featuring one, maybe two relevant member/s of a genre and/or band long forgetting or now seemingly irrelevant. The last true and great supergroup to rear its formidable head was none other than Killer Be Killed in 2014 and released a devastating and, pardon the pun, KILLER self titled album.

But let’s fast forward to 2019 shall we and, be prepared to have all of your orifices completely annihilated by the new and true, in every sense of the term, SUPERGROUP know as VLTIMAS.

Primarily the brainchild of and featuring Rune Eriksen of Aura Noir, Earth Electric and also guitar duties for many years with Mayhem, the crushing groove stool taken by none other than Flo Mounier of Cryptopsy and easily one of the best and absolutely recognisable voices in extreme death metal and unmistakable throat of one David Vincent formerly of Morbid Angel.

So…with those three blokes in a room laying down and recording music together, is there truly any doubt that what you will hear for the first time is going to be anything other than almost perfect, crushingly brutal and make a mega tyrannical beast out of the members previous musical endeavours?

The crushing and incredibly devastating answer to that question is, NO!

The debut album for VLTIMAS – Something Wicked Marches In is a true lesson in extreme brutal, crushing and pounding black/death collaborative metal song writing.

The first impressions you’ll have is that this album could absolutely be Morbid Angel’s – DOMINATION II (No disrespect or diversion intended). Yes it is that fucking good. Unmistakable Vincent at his absolute finest. Then Rune’s stellar song writing and compositional skills, complimented, highlighted and accentuated by Mounier Something Wicked Marches In without question or failure speaks the dialect of VLTIMAS members and that of fans of their other bands and subsequent musical offerings throughout the decades.

Something Wicked Marches In is an all too short thirty nine minutes and nine songs in length. Opening with the title track, an eerie short guitar introduction can not prepare us for what is about to be unleashed. Eriksen and Mounier psychotically serenade us toward the introduction of David Vincent at the front of the VLTIMAS and sounding as possessed as he ever did. It could be said that even at first listen Vincent is sounding better than he ever has.  “Something Wicked Marches In” is absolutely the perfect introduction to the album and a worthy album title. Containing all of the elements the listeners didn’t anticipate but can absolutely identify with in reference to the many varied and extreme metal elements the members bring to the table.

Track two, “Praevalidus” opens with the blinding BPM blast beats Flo is known for, accompanied by neck shredding Rune keeping Mounier’s pace, without slowing for a second the beat reduces to a slow galloping head nod, enter Vincent moments later gripping us by the throat and screaming unrepentantly into our faces. Ebbing and flowing with debilitating chaotic and rhythmic brutal beauty  “Praevalidus” knows either calm or chaos and gives Vincent a platform to vocalise his superiority as one of the best heavy vocalists of our time.

“Total Destroy” is nothing but a pure three minute lesson in musical armageddon with the aim of plunging the listeners head in an upwards and downwards motion. Imagine witnessing a wall of death at a gig where punters want nothing more than to destabilise and destroy all within their path. That is the purpose and intent of “Total Destroy” and so onwards and unrepentantly Something Wicked Marches In for its entire duration, pummeling all in its damn near perfect destructive path.

VLTIMAS is a perfect blend, collaboration and composition of Eriksen, Mounier and Vincent. Cohesively combining every incredible element of their extreme musical pasts and smashing them together to form an album, it would seem, none of us expected. Something Wicked Marches In, is without question a contender for many top ten album end of year lists.

Even if you are unfamiliar with Mayhem, or Cryptopsy or, Satan forbid, Morbid Angel yet are a fan of perfectly crafted, hypnotic and seemingly comfortable in relaxing courtesy of extreme metal then VLTIMAS’ – Something Wicked Marches In is a must add to your metal library.

VLTIMASSomething Wicked Marches In is out now on Seasons Of Mist

Check out the lyric videos to “Total Destroy” and “Diabolus Est Sanguis” below and deets to order your copy of Something Wicked Marches In can be found here

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