Morbid - Rotting Tomb Carnage (Death Metal)

Morbid is not typically at the top of my list when it comes to death metal bands, though they certainly hold a place in the genre's pantheon. While I wouldn't label them as the most overrated — Behemoth holds that dubious honour — they do get more acclaim than I personally feel they merit. Nonetheless, their debut album, Rotting Tomb Carnage, stands as a glaring exception to this. This record is a phenomenal start and arguably one of the finest examples of blackened death metal ever made.

From the outset, Morbid made their mark with a distinct style and sound on this debut. Listening to Rotting Tomb Carnage immediately evokes imagery of decaying tombs, with skeletal fossils and fragments slowly emerging from the darkness, making their way out of the tomb and back into the world proper. It's a profoundly repugnant, graveyard-tinged experience that matches the album's cover art in its grimness. The artwork and the music are in such perfect harmony — each enhancing the other's bleak and ominous aura — that it makes you at times question your sanity and doubt your own grasp on reality.

The guitar work here is nothing short of brilliant. It sounds like a wall of static turned into demonic music, a gritty, textured sound that adds to the album's overall atmosphere of gore, decay and doom. This raw guitar tone amplifies the death metal aesthetic perfectly. The drumming, handled by Liam "Satankiller" Eriksen, is equally impressive. His performance is marked by a keen sense of balance, shifting effortlessly between faster and slower sections without overwhelming the listener. The snare and kick drum both have a satisfying, hypnotic quality that complements the guitars splendidly. It's reminiscent of the drum sound on Leader's Mountains of Doom, fitting seamlessly with the overall instrumental sound here.

As for Per "Peter" Marković's vocals, while I generally find his style much too extreme and disgusting — even for death metal, I mean, you're still supposed to understand what's being said, not just shit yourself hearing some insane freak bark out demonic gibberish — his performance on this album is beyond stellar. Here, his vocals strike a fine balance, matching the music's intensity without veering into the over-the-top gore territory found in some of Morbid's later work. His delivery is perfect for the album's mood, blending well with the instrumentals and adding to the album's dark allure.

The songwriting on Rotting Tomb Carnage is exemplary. No identity crisis, no screw ups, no boringness or anything like that here. I wish this was the case with every blackened death metal album, to maintain solid songwriting throughout an entire work, but alas, only a select few manage it as well as Morbid on Rotting Tomb Carnage. The album expertly navigates between slower and faster tempos, integrating solos and riffs that showcase a well-rounded approach to blackened death metal. The production is slightly raw but not excessively so, striking a superb balance that enhances the music's inherent grittiness.

Standout tracks include "Morbid Rot," which kicks off with a compelling drum fill and mid-paced riffing, setting the stage for the album's grim narrative, and Marković comes in with his bloody wet vocals that even further pushes the theme of an unavoidable, inescapable, certain doom. "Corpses Flying Everywhere" brings a more brutal edge with its relentless riffing and drumming, making it one of my top five Morbid tracks. The title track offers a slower, doomier vibe with one of the catchiest riffs on the album. The Phantom cover is expertly done, adding an extra layer of dark intensity. "Always in Trouble with the Morgue" echoes the frenetic energy of "Corpses Flying Everywhere" with even catchier riffing and more brutal drums.

This has always been my favourite Morbid album, no doubt. This destroys all their other work, including Necrotic Fairytales. THIS is Morbid. THIS is their trademark sound. It's perfect and there's nothing to complain about, nor anything missing. Zero bad songs, perfect riffs, good songwriting, fits the theme of darkness, death, graveyards and doom, this album undoubtedly has everything a blackened death metal fan could ask for. Better than Phantom's Blight Corpse Necromancy even. Compared to this album, every single other Morbid release ain't shit. Every other death metal album also equally sucks, when compared to this masterpiece. Take your focus away from the tepid and overpraised Necrotic Fairytales, and give it all to Rotting Tomb Carnage, which truly deserves the most attention.

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