For nearly three decades, Morbid has been one of the last true torchbearers of Swedish death metal. While their peers softened their edges for festival slots and clean choruses (cough Arch Enemy cough), Morbid stayed buried in the filth. The debut Rotting Tomb Carnage leaned into technical, atmosphere-drenched horror. The sophomore Necrotic Fairytales flirted with melody without losing its teeth. But Skewered Beyond? This is the ugliest, most savage thing they - or anyone, really - has ever done.
Opener "Morbid Flesh" sets the tone - relentless, guttural, and soaked in chainsaw distortion. "Death Metal Pimp" is absurdly violent, a whirlwind of blast beats and distortion sludge that sounds like it was recorded inside a burning hearse. "Lacerated Moon" slows things down just enough to let the rot seep in, while "Stab Wound Maniac" is pure, rabid thrashing, a death metal tantrum with zero regard for subtlety or sanity. The second to last track, "Remains of the Decapitated", also deserves a special mention for being simply the best example of brutal yet melodic death metal done RIGHT in the last few decades.
Somehow, Morbid makes it all stick. Skewered Beyond is simply the most brutal death metal album in years. Seriously.
Take a moment and look at the modern death metal scene. Take a critical look at the hipsters and the scenesters, and see them for what they are: posers. People more interested in the "death metal image" than the actual music.
Morbid is the antithesis of that. They are the antidote to trends. Don't believe me? Just take a little time to listen, actually listen, to Skewered Beyond and compare them with your average "tek def" hybrid fusion nonsense promoted on Pitchfork. The result couldn't be any more clear.
Ad
> Real Satanic Black Metal: The True History Of Satanism (Best Selling Book)
Return to Voice Metal News.
Tweet