ALBUM REVIEW: Cursed Mortality – Carnation

Since forming a decade ago, Belgium’s CARNATION have been building steady momentum in the death metal world. 2018’s Chapel Of Abhorrence violently announced the band to the scene, whilst 2020’s Where Death Lies saw them hone their sound for a vicious sophomore offering. Now, three years later and in lieu of their tenth anniversary as a band comes album number three: Cursed Mortality. And it’s a late contender for one of the best death metal records you’ll hear this year.

With a lean and mean runtime of just over 35 minutes, Cursed Mortality is a precise but hefty slab of killer death metal. Album opener Herald Of Demise flies out the gates after a brief foreboding intro as a cacophony of twisting riffs from guitarists Jonathan Verstrepen and Bert Vervoort and thunderous drumming from Vincent Verstrepen sets the tone in vicious fashion. Vocalist Simon Duson makes an immediate impression, echoing Mikael Åkerfeldt-era BLOODBATH as he leads the frontline with aplomb and his guttural snarls accompany the aural mayhem to bombastic effect. It’s a thundering opening statement and poises Cursed Mortality very nicely indeed.

From there, CARNATION keep the intensity sky-high, strengthening the credibility they’ve earned on their previous releases. Speed is the name of the game with Maruta as the band up the intensity as riffs gallop and Duson‘s vocals soar; Metropolis could sit comfortably on recent CANNIBAL CORPSE records with its thundering stomp and Duson channelling his inner George Fisher with bout after bout of monstrous gutturals; and Submerged In Deafening Silence crawls with malicious intent as the sinister riffage creates an unsettling atmosphere. It’s clear that this band has a certain potency for crafting exquisite death metal and Cursed Mortality is packed to the brim with it.

You’d anticipate that by now CARNTION know their identity and that Cursed Mortality doesn’t stray left-field from the tried and tested death metal formula. However, there are a few surprises lying in wait on this record and their execution showcases even more potential than one might have originally presumed. Replicant sees the first introduction of clean vocals, and whilst death metal purists might raise an eyebrow, the way they interchange with the guttural blasts and showcase a different edge to the band effectively works as a palette cleanser and keeps your attention firmly fixed on the aural experience.

The title track, weighing in at seven and a half minutes, showcases CARNATION at their most experimental. The expanded runtime allows for the band to patiently build an immersive atmosphere where melodic guitars and shimmering cleans lull you into a false sense of security before exploding into primal metallic rage where the heaviness is ramped up to knock you for six. It ends the album on a magnificent note and indicates that this band are far from hitting the ceiling of their creativity.

With Cursed Mortality, CARNATION have struck gold once again. Building upon the foundations established by their previous work, their third album is accomplished, devilishly heavy and has enough forward-thinking ideas to keep you coming back for more. Just when we thought we’d experienced all the killer death metal 2023 has to offer, CARNATION enter the fray late on with a bonafide beast.

Rating: 9/10 

Cursed Mortality is set for release on November 3rd via Season Of Mist. 

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