ALBUM REVIEW: Something Wicked Marches In – VLTIMAS

Though the band has been in the works for some time now, VLTIMAS exploded into extreme metal’s consciousness with the release of their debut single, Praevalidus, back in December. Featuring three veterans of the extreme metal scene – David Vincent of MORBID ANGEL fame, CRYPTOPSY‘s Flo Mounier and former MAYHEM guitarist Rune ‘Blasphemer’ Eriksen – there was a degree of hype surrounding VLTIMAS when Praevalidus and the announcement of their debut album Something Wicked Marches In dropped. Is Something Wicked Marches In a strong opening statement, or does it fail to live up to the hype?

For Eriksen, Vincent and Mounier, VLTIMAS offers a chance for something new and refreshing – and it delivers on every count. The trio bookend Something Wicked Marches In with two of its strongest moments, its title track and Marching On, but the quality rarely dips throughout, culminating in a furious, all-killer record that is trimmed of all fat and displays the fantastic songwriting abilities of all three artists. Though VLTIMAS have no expressly said this is a concept record, the whole album does carry a feel of being one, unified whole rather than a collection of nine tracks.

Something Wicked Marches In‘s title track is a stunning opening statement, immediately proving to be a highlight from the record. Built on the foundations of a blackened riff, Something Wicked Marches In progresses between punishing aggression, courtesy of Mounier‘s world-class work behind the kit, to more ominous, atmospheric passages – you’d be forgiven for barely getting into the rest of the record from the sheer replay factor of the opening song. One of the most memorable moments on the album comes early on, as the aggression comes to a halt, only being heralded back into full swing with Vincent‘s viscous snarl of “Something wicked marches in!” Album singles Praevalidus and Total Destroy! keep the momentum surging forward, crammed with hooks amid the blackened death metal brutality.

Though competition is stiff, the incredibly melodic Monolith makes a dazzling case for Something Wicked Marches In‘s best moment. Here, we see Vincent making use of his iconic rolled-R’s and enchanting, ritualistic clean vocals a la Covenant/Domination era MORBID ANGEL – it’s not hard to imagine the clean pre-chorus of “She is my only/ My one and only/ None hold a candle to my princess demoness!” being a stand-out moment in future live shows. Carrying some of the biggest hooks and the most ambitious songwriting on Something Wicked Marches In, Monolith is a clear highlight. VLTIMAS waste no time in ramping things back up with Truth And Consequence bringing Eriksen‘s black metal influence to the forefront, while Last One Alive Wins Nothing pays dividends in maintaining the sinister, ethereal atmosphere Something Wicked Marches In has established thus far.

As VLTIMAS approach the closing songs of Something Wicked Marches In, Everlasting and single Diabolus Est Sanguis work to keep the momentum rising to the last possible moment. Everlasting brings in some of that already-classic VLTIMAS speed and aggression, mixing it with catchy, crowd-pleasing moments throughout while Diabolus Est Sanguis proves to be eviscerating from start to finish, possibly hitting the highest BPM thus far in the album. Eager to end on a high note, VLTIMAS close Something Wicked Marches In with the absolutely crushing Marching On, which sees the atmosphere of the album come to end in an oppressive, ten-ton-heavy blast. We also see a clear highlight moment in Marching On‘s solo, with Eriksen delving into wonderful, blues-tinged licks. The song, and album, close with Vincent‘s chanting fading into silence, closing the book on what has been an outstanding debut.

There is no two ways about it – Something Wicked Marches In is one of the best death metal albums to come this year. With VLTIMAS, Vincent, Eriksen and Mounier have formed a formidable song-writing partnership and together they have crafted a debut album that promises incredible things for the future of the band. Blending the musical backgrounds of all three artists into a sound that stands apart from the majority of the death metal scene. Something Wicked Marches In channels blackened atmosphere, soaring melody, and classic death metal brutality in equal measure. Simply a must-listen for any fan of extreme metal, Something Wicked Marches In is a worthy addition to the collective legacies of Vincent, Eriksen and Mounier.

Rating: 9/10

Something Wicked Marches In is set for release on March 29th via Season Of Mist. 

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