Needless to say, Carnation uphold their reputation for above-the-bar death metal in fine fashion with Cursed Mortality. Equal parts Entombed, Bloodbath, and Helslave—which is to say 100% old-school buzzsaw WIOLENCE—Cursed Mortality is a clinic in relentless riffage and ravenous drive. More immediate and more invigorated than anything previously unleashed, this third monstrosity sees Carnation at their leanest and meanest. Simon Duson sounds better than ever on the mic, vomiting forth gutsy, throat-ripping roars as effortlessly as we breathe. Meanwhile, axe-slingers Jonathan Verstrepen and Bert Vervoort punch way above their weight with an endless cavalcade of awesome riffs, leads, and solos that bridge the gap between brutality and beauty. At their side, bassist Yarne Heylen thrums with extra-distorted reverberations stout enough to crack the mantle as drummer Vincent Verstrepen splits the Earth wide open like an unsuspecting skull on the curb. In terms of songwriting, Carnation’s skills developed noticeably over the last three years, boasting greater melodic depth, smoother transitions, and more creative growth than ever before. In turn, Cursed Mortality represents a classic style elevated in all the right ways for a modern death metal enjoyer like myself.
Due to the bone-crushing impact of this record’s multitudinous hooks and the wide variety of tactics utilized in its composition, not only is the listening experience exciting and memorable on the whole, but so too are individual songs on their own. Opener “Herald of Demise (ft. Andy Larocque),” “Metropolis,” “Dutroux,” and immense closer “Cursed Mortality” make up some of the strongest material the band penned to date. The background leads of “Herald of Demise” elicit a haunting character to open what proves to be a spiritually darker record. From there, “Metropolis” and “Dutroux” flex the band’s melodic muscles, forming a powerful mass of blackened leads and chunky grooves. Finally, “Cursed Mortality” showcases Carnation’s best long-form epic yet, both emotionally compelling and effective as the album’s resolution. Unlike previous records, there are no lulls, no disjointed or awkward changeovers, and no weak links. Even when Carnation slows down, as in the mid-paced “Replicant” and “Submerged in Deafening Silence,” not one iota of momentum falls away, thanks to smartly edited runtimes and well-measured applications of every new idea introduced.
Investigating past my delight at this record’s enhanced initial quality, I discovered even more cool details and only the most minor of quibbles. To the first point, the guitarists’ lead work deserves high praise. Never allowing any song to simply coast on the merits of a strong theme (of which there is an abundance), they make excellent use of melody and harmony, mixing media as clean-picked and tremolo leads exchange volleys, shift tactics, and move in tandem as each song demands (“Maruta,” “Submerged in Deafening Silence,” “Cycle of Suffering”). Drumming follows a similar blueprint, morphing patterns to serve each song best, signaling an organic liveliness across the runtime (“Herald of Demise,” “Dutroux”). Additionally, clean vocals in the closer and in “Replicant” provide an additional textural element that, while trendy in death metal currently, work very well here. Now, for the quibbles. Firstly, I wonder if this record’s production is a step back from past efforts. As always, Carnation selected satisfying tones for their instruments, but the bass guitar comes in and out more than it maintains a consistent presence, which I view as a mistake. Additionally, an occasional riff (like the groove supporting “Submerged in Deafening Silence”) sounds suspiciously like it belongs in Where Death Lies’ collection. They aren’t carbon copies, of course, but they tread that self-plagiarism line a little too closely for my liking.
Obviously, I still can’t say that Carnation no longer sounds like other Swedeath bands—Cursed Mortality remains squarely within that HM-2 territory as we know it. What I can say is that Carnation is one of the best in the business. This latest release proves that fact beyond a shadow of doubt, especially considering that it also marks a new high-water mark in their discography. Mere mortals best heed my word, and bequeath thy time to Cursed Mortality.
Rating: Great!
DR: 5 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Season of Mist
Websites: carnation.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/CarnationBE
Releases Worldwide: November 3rd, 2023
