Sentient Horror’s latest release Morbid Realms is an onslaught of pure metal goodness. It is the sonic equivalent of repeatedly nail-gunning someone’s hand to a steam flute until the limb shatters under the pressure of the nails or the heat of the pipe, whichever comes first.
The vocals are extreme and a reliably ‘smooth’ type of death – perfect for this genre – forceful and uncompromising. The guitar tone is strong but very reminiscent of the late 90s early 2000s and the drums are punchy and tight.
While most of the album is in the faster register, there are moments of melody and clarity that are welcomed. All the ingredients are there for a top-notch death metal album.
The performance is extremely tight, nothing is out of place and the mixing and mastering do what it should. All that aside though, the best part about this release is the excessive aggression. In a lot of death metal, I hear, the aggression can feel a little ‘phoned in’, more like an imitation of the Cookie Monster than an actual hatred for all things in this world.
Sentient Horror has that hatred, and I couldn’t be happier for it. My only criticism is that it a bit of a re-hash of what we have heard. I’d love to see these guys take it to the next level, and I say that without knowing what that next level is. Suitable for those who miss Chuck Schuldiner.
Release Year: 2019
Label: Testimony Records
Category: Album
Country: USA
Reviewed by Liam Frost-Camilleri
