Imagine a lone asteroid floating about aimlessly in deep space. Giant, writhing worms dwell beneath its thin crust of rock and dirty ice, and these gargantuan non-arthropods occasionally pop up to the desolate surface to soak in the UV rays emanating from nearby stars. Then, when it’s feeding time, they seek out and cannibalize one another. The resulting cacophony of tortured, inhuman shrieks set against the depressive backdrop of the vast and cold void would be akin to how Vermis—the Relapse debut and fourth full-length album from New Zealander experimental death metallers Ulcerate—sounds like.
With the exception of the style of harsh vocals employed, Vermis sounds like leftover/hitherto unreleased material from Deathspell Omega’s Fas – Ite, Maledicti, in Ignem Aeternum recording sessions. The music is organic and utterly out of this world; atonal guitar melodies evoke deeply suppressed memories of being abducted by UFOs while the pounding of drumming beast Jamie Saint Merat, which is governed by irregular time signatures, sounds like the heartbeat of an android experiencing an artificial adrenaline rush. Jamie’s frequent and skilful use of cymbal chokes conjures a tense atmosphere too, which complements the dissonant guitar melodies well.
The near-indiscernibility of one track from another, however, could be seen as a flaw to some. Also, extraterrestrial metal is no longer as fresh and exciting as it was when it first appeared in the early 2000s. These are but minor complaints though, because ultimately, Vermis is still a satisfactory walk in the crater-ridden and giant-worm-infested park.
7/10
Dane Prokofiev