Most people have a limit, or at least that’s seemingly so. Most of us won’t take someone’s life if they cut in front of us on the road or take vital supplies that don’t belong to us or steal money from other people because we perceive these actions as being wrong. But people have been pushed beyond those limits, and depending on how far one goes, there could be little chance of turning back.

New Zealand-based death/black metal trio Ulcerate put that philosophy to the test when creating their seventh record “Cutting the Throat of God.” These seven tracks, while not a concept record, do combine to examine the idea of morality and when and why someone crosses the line into darkness. As we’ve come to expect from this band—bassist/vocalist Paul Kelland, guitarist Michael Hoggard, drummer Jamie Saint Merat—they deliver dense, cement-thick punishment over nearly 58 minutes. Pushing beyond reason, past one’s moral compass generally takes a pretty extreme circumstance for that to happen, and once we’re there, how do we pull back, if that’s even possible?

“To Flow Through Ashen Hearts” opens with guitars melting, dripping liquid steel, the roars crushing as the beastly flow gains muscle. Cagey and furious, the strength leaves ash, the atmosphere thickening as the playing gets tougher, wailing into colder waters, churning savagery, and railing to an abrupt finish. “The Dawn Is Hollow” emerges from steam, unloading with ferocity, tearing at flesh, the guitars making frayed nerves tingle. Alien sounds land as beastly heat rises, roars loosening bricks, the playing blasting away at everything, the gargantuan strength landing the final blows. “Further Opening the Wounds” is hazy at the start, and then the assault bursts, the playing stinging, the howls pounding away at you, rampaging and gaining steam. The roars crush bones, bludgeoning as the playing spits nails, trudging over ice and unforgiving terrain, the final moments flattening.

“Transfiguration In and Out of Worlds” is eerie and chilling, cold trickling and making your body shake uncontrollably, sooty howls echoing as the guitars sting and become even more aggressive. Cavernous sounds envelope as the power lands knife-edge chops, the drums mangling, numbing and surging, the guitars snaking through blood and into the light. “To See Death Just Once” swelters as the ground shakes, prodding and pounding, a hulking force eating across the land. Guitars smear as the heat wilts, turning into a more calming flow, lending solace before the fires consume again. Drums welt flesh as hell is unleashed, the leads jarring before burning off. “Undying as an Apparition” is melodic but mean, glazing as the roars crunch, weirdness thickening as the savagery comes to life. The playing is fluid but morbid, getting enthralling and immersive as you’re pulled into hell, the battering having its way and leaving you prone to further attacks. The title track closes the affair, emerging as a blunt force that snarls, stoking at the flames and ripping as the melodies curdle. The playing hits even harder, stabbing into the muck, blistering as the inhumane force weighs down violently, spiraling into savage growls, the force swelling as the smothering damage chokes you into submission.

“Cutting the Throat of God” is a title not to be taken lightly, as its force and intent are poisonous and force you to confront whatever line of morality you choose to draw for yourself. Ulcerate’s battering brand of death metal is a concoction truly their own, and they continue to challenge you to withstand their physical attack as you wrestle with the themes interwoven into the chaos. This is a record that forces you to confront your limits, what you’re willing to do step over that line, and the depravity and madness that accompanies this journey straight over the edge into hell.

For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/Ulcerate/

To buy the album (North America), go here: https://debemurmorti.aisamerch.com/

Or here (Europe): https://www.debemur-morti.com/en/12-eshop

For more on the label, go here: https://www.debemur-morti.com/en/