Ulcerate - Cutting the Throat of God (2024)

Abundantly delivering on one of the most awaited releases of 2024, Ulcerate returns with another incisive release titled “Cutting the Throat of God”. Featuring seven tracks and nearly one hour of punishing music, filled with raw brutality alongside crafty instrumentation and hypnotic melancholy. Slowly getting better and better over time, we thought it would be hard for the band to surpass “Stare into Death and Be Still”, but they managed to completely leapfrog it and set a whole new standard.

Opening with the crushing “To Flow Through Ashen Hearts”, the band over the years has moved away from a more traditional Technical/Brutal Death Metal into more expansive and experimental Avant-garde territories and this track is one perfect example of that. The mysterious mood is perfectly flanked by textured guitars, pummeling drums, and harrowing harsh vocals, however, it's the crafty tempo changes and sinister melodies that make it interesting.

With songs like “The Dawn is Hollow”, “Further Opening the Wounds”, and “Transfiguration In and Out of Worlds”, we get that expansive sound with plenty of atmospheric moments, melancholic interludes, and lush instrumentation that slowly builds up momentum and has epic crescendos. As some Post-Metal elements creep into the band’s sound, there are still terrifyingly pummeling songs like the brilliant “To See Death Just Once” as well as the heavier moments of “Undying as an Apparition”.

Closing with the excellent album title track, we are left exhausted and with a huge grin on our face as “Cutting the Throat of God” is a massive release with tons of layers to peel in subsequent listens. If you are a fan of the band, this will certainly keep you entertained, but if you aren't, you are totally missing out on one of the most creative and powerful outfits of the last few years.

Label: Debemur Morti Productions

Release: June 14th, 2024

Genre: Avant-garde/Experimental Death Metal

Country: New Zealand