Best of 2020

3) Ulcerate - Stare into Death and Be Still

It's a common practice for me to read a bunch of reviews of certain albums before, during, and after actually listening to a given album. I do this for perspective, for context, for hidden details proffered by the humble heavy metal writers. For Ulcerate the message has been pretty consistent from the community, "Take my money." There are occasional caveats captured by discerning reviewers involving Ulcerate's conformity to the Ulcerate sound. If you don't like the first few Ulcerate albums, you won't like this one because it sounds unmistakably like an Ulcerate album. I would say this caveat rings true, however there's something to consider with the juxtaposition between style conformity and infallibility Ulcerate has accomplished with their career so far. That is how special the Ulcerate style is in the landscape of heavy metal. 

Very few bands have a sound this recognizable, this polished, and this distant from clear influences. I would make the argument this is due in large part to having a virtuoso included in the roster. Jamie Saint Merat is unquestionably one of the most technically proficient and stylistically original death metal drummers performing in the present era. Given a ringer like him, you don't have to do much else to be a great band, however Ulcerate also employ very recognizable guitar techniques and the leadership of a strong, often threatening vocal. The only danger Ulcerate can run into is not making these albums on the whole dynamic enough. There is a real risk when you have a bunch of exuberant death metal musicians who just want to blast and burn. Luckily Stare into Death and Be Still is one of Ulcerate's most dynamic if not the most dynamic record to date. There are many slower passages here, many moments of reflection buried in reverb bringing the illusion of distance and separation. These passages help to elevate the composition overall by allowing a breath between surges of violence

P.S. The music video for Dissolved Orders is very special. Give it a watch and be prepared for the nightmares.