Out NOW
Via Metal Blade Records
Words by: Liam Hedges
Vomitory return this April with their tenth full-length album, In Death Throes, out through Metal Blade Records. Formed in 1989 in Sweden, Vomitory are well established masters of death metal. Their sound to me is best described as faster old-school death metal, particularly considering bands such as Bolt Thrower. Take the catchy Bolt Thrower-style riffing, increase the speed and maintain the brutality and we get a component of Vomitory’s sound. The best example for this particular sound is found on track four, Wrath Unbound.
Jumping back to the start of the album, I need to mention the opening track’s title; Rapture in Rupture. Clever song titles like this are scattered across the metal scene and I personally appreciate them a lot. To briefly nerd out on the literary devices used, we not only have alliteration, but also the use of assonance in the exact repetition of the suffix. Modifying the single letter in this case creates the paradox, contradicting joy with destruction. Another great example is an older Revocation track entitled None Shall be Spared, All Shall be Speared. English lesson over.
Other standout titles include For Gore and Country, Two and a Half Men, and The Zombie War General.
Vocals are performed by Bassist Erik Rundqvist, and are the perfect mid-range guttural over, what I would describe as, mainly riff focussed music. The vocals are not largely varied across the tracks but that fits just right with what Vomitory put forward. The real drivers for me are the guitars and drums, performed by brothers and founding members, Urban and Tobias Gustafsson, respectively.
In Death Throes features Vomitory’s newest member, Christian Fredriksson on the lead guitar, with his first release with the band. The solos featured on this album are both well-written and exciting while maintaining a tasteful melodic voice. They do not overstretch the music, fitting so well into the respective song’s context and elevating each track.
The riffs and drums are what capture the energy of Vomitory and what has maintained my fullest attention in this release. I feel the need to ascribe this connection and energy to the founding Gustafsson brothers and their relationship. I have previously listened to their 2023 release; All Heads Are Gonna Roll when it first came out, but this new album is causing the nerdiest need to deep-dive all their releases in me.
Each and every track on this release puts forward an exciting and adrenaline-pumping onslaught of pure death metal. From old-school thrash-based riffs and skank beats to chainsaw riffs over a blast on the ride, In Death Throes has everything a death metal fan is after. Vomitory know exactly how to make good metal and that’s exactly what they do.
Off for now to continue my English Studies,
Metal Cult 666
