Ulcerate
Shrines of Paralysis
(Relapse Records)
Tou have to think outside the box if you’re a forward-thinking metal band, and sometimes that means embracing melody. For New Zealand’s best metal export, it was time to be more deliberate and clean things up a bit. Make no mistake; this is still the band that writes some of the most pummeling, gut-wrenching music around. Seriously, at their heaviest, the dissonance can overcome my delicate stomach, turning it around to the maniacal beat (maybe semi-seriously…). Shrines of Paralysis is as menacing and chaotic as ever, but by stepping just a little bit outside the box, Ulcerate was able to craft their best work yet. It helps that Ulcerate’s philosophical fixation on humanity’s failure is the perfect counterpart to the band’s sonic horror.
Part of the success was due to their wise decision to rein in their infamous wall of sound production style. This record definitely is loud (definitely too loud), and it suffers from moments where the dynamics are muddled by that loudness, but it’s definitely better than Vermis. Also, and it sounds bizarre, but Ulcerate really stepped up their melodic use here, resulting in a record surprisingly full of memorable riffs and leads. However, let’s not forget that while every band member is talented, Ulcerate are a drummer’s band, and Jamie Saint Merat is at the top of his game on Shrines of Paralysis. He is the engine that runs the band, and this V8 is powerful and precise. It’s impressive that he keeps getting better.
Overall, despite not quite getting the mixing and production right, Ulcerate have come back with yet another stunning batch of dissonant technical death metal. However, thanks to improved musicianship and a slightly greater sense of melody, Ulcerate show no signs of slowing down their progress. It’s been a landmark year for death metal, and Ulcerate are staking their claim as the year’s best.
Purchase Shrines of Paralysis here.
