Danish death metal diplomats Vomitory have unleashed its tenth release, In Death Throes, through Metal Blade Records. The album follows its 2023 predecessor, All Heads Are Gonna Roll, as a no-frills death metal record with a few twists to keep things interesting. “Rapture In Rupture” rips from the start with blast beats and a menacing riff before drummer Tobias Gustaffson transitions to a thrashing tempo. “Rapture” sets the album’s tone with its relentless speed and Erik Runqvist’s gruff vocals. “For Gore and Country” is the album’s initial single and rightly so for its aggressive, yet hooky guitar riff, that draws you in for the slaughter. It is one of the “slower” tracks on In Death Throes, but features bursts of speed to keep the brutality consistent. “Forever Scorned” is a blistering assault on the auditory senses with its chainsaw riffing and maniacal fast pace. The midsection breakdown slows things down, but one will still find themselves headbanging.
The Bolt Thrower tinged “Wrath Unbound” features baroque, majestic guitar riffs, reminiscent of the band’s British peers, and meshes quite well with the violent theme of the album. Think of it as pioneers paying tribute to fellow pioneers. The mid-tempo drumming sounds like a tank rolling through a war-torn city as soldiers maneuver through the streets to fire at the enemy. The title track is the album’s longest track, at slightly over four-and-a-half minutes. It is pure speed, with a brief breakdown before speeding things up again. “Cataclysmic Fleshfront” opens with a descending riff over a blast beat before treading into death/thrash territory. The riffs have a Swedish sound like Entombed and Dismembered, heightening the terrifying aura of the track. “Two And A Half Men”, not the show, is driven by a d-beat and has a grindcore feel to it. It immediately gets the head bobbing and is sure to cause a circle pit at a show.
“Erased in Red” begins with a groove, but the drums get into high gear and the final half is a pulverizing lesson in blast beats and rhythm changes. “The Zombie War General” is controlled chaos with a fast, grooving riffs amid a cacophony of blast beats and double bass drums. It feels like a zombie horde is rampaging a town, devouring victims to join their ranks. “The Oblivion Protocol” concludes the record as it began, in ferocious fashion. The punk influence shines a bit on this track as the drumming is simple and fast, albeit with blast beats thrown in for good measure. The guitars smash like cannons through a wall, with Christian Frederiksson laying out an emotive guitar solo through the violence.
The saying “don’t reinvent the wheel” defines In Death Throes. Vomitory are not reinventing its sound, but refining it. The riffs are tight and seamless on this record, despite this being Christian’s debut with this band, he plays well with Urban Gustafsson. The songwriting is terse and brutal, which is Vomitory’s signature sound. This is not simple minded death metal, as the band are highly skilled at its craft. The musicianship is technical and transitions between precise and blunt, but the band plays to its strengths. The production is whole, with particular praise for the bottom end of the guitars and bass. The guitars do not sound thin, even when playing at blinding speeds. The tracks are cohesive, though it does sound slightly monotonous at times. However, the albums brevity makes this a very minor issue.
In Death Throes shows Vomitory does what it does best. Its 37 minute length makes for repeat listens and there are several tracks on here that will become staples at shows. The old school death metal fans can rejoice and the newer headbangers should listen to this record as a lesson in brutality. Vomitory continue to wave the flag for gore and riffs.
Check out the band’s official website here: https://www.vomitory.net/
