Execration: Morbid Dimensions

Norwegians conjure new spells from the old-school cauldron

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Norway is, perhaps, better known for black metal, however, there are a handful of killer death metal bands making up for quantity with some serious quality; and trust Duplicate Records have one of the best.

Morbid Dimensions’ crushing opener, Cosmic Mausoluem, kicks off with a Sabbath-esque doom riff dripping with 70s valve warmth, before descending into a furious cauldron of raging death metal chaos. A big plus point is the production; rather than the one-dimensional, clicky sound of modern metal records, this a warm, organic, yet relatively clean-sounding record that lends an impression of sonic depth to match the abyssal riffing. Like their neighbours Obliteration, Execration take Autopsy as a starting point en route to somewhere special. Adding the progressive thrashing of Coroner as well the dark, gothic feel of In Solitude, Execration never sound like they’re trying to escape the death metal tag, and yet creative, fresh and genuinely exciting forces are at work here. Execration can take their place alongside the likes of Cult Of Fire, Portal and Tribulation: forward-thinking death metal that still retains the best of the old school.

Via Duplicate