Sulphurous – The Black Mouth of Sepulchre (Review)

This is the second album from Sulphurous, a death metal band from Denmark.

The Black Mouth of Sepulchre gives us 37 minutes of death metal, the sort that leaves burn marks, congealed blood, and dark shadows wherever it goes. Sulphurous’ style is rooted in old-school death metal, but layered with a cloak of darkness and malignant, menacing mood. The music has a fierce technical component, which increases the number of killing ways it has fourfold.

The songs are ferocious and evil. They’re packed with piercing riffs and grim nightmare auras. The music is very adept at revelling in utter brutality, while also crafting foul macabre atmosphere. Melody is occasionally unleashed from where it’s kept caged by the band, only to be wheeled out in manacles where and when it can have the most impact.

The band’s technical ability adds a level of intensity and immersion I wasn’t expecting; it’s clear that a lot of work has gone into these songs, and the intricate delivery of the drums and guitars in particular help to raise the album up to greater heights than it might otherwise have achieved had a simpler approach been adopted.

The songwriting is also surprisingly nuanced and detailed. The band know their art well, and pepper the album with good ideas and creative flourishes. Whether this is a particularly thunderous percussive accompaniment, a wave of sinister melody that rises out of nowhere, a haunting piano, or any other number of things, it’s clear that Sulphurous are at the top of their game.

Holy Hell, this is an album to dig deep into if you’re a fan of dark, technically precise death metal nastiness. Sulphurous don’t hold back anything on The Black Mouth of Sepulchre, and the result is a blistering album of brutal horror and dark aggression.

Very highly recommended.