These Norwegians are already the proud fathers of two previous experimental death metal releases – 2008’s ‘Syndicates of Lethargy’ and 2011’s ‘Odes of the Occult’. Having missed the pleasure of both these, ‘Morbid Dimensions’ is my introduction to the group. Apparently expanding on the previous efforts with “a multitude of refreshing twists and turns”, Execration’s objective is to create its own niche; carrying the influence of the old school (without copying) and simultaneously avoiding/purposefully rejecting any trace of modern technical death metal. After a fair few listens to album number three, it’s fair to say that the explorers from Oslo have succeeded on both counts.
‘Cosmic Mausoleum’ kicks off with primitive beats and guitars which provide some weird, unerring opening moments. Along with what’s contorted out of the instruments, the guitar tone adds an extra dimension of mystery and wonder by avoiding typical death metal territory – especially when the terrifying heaviness kicks in. Just to confound, the music subsequently becomes almost soothing, creating quite the ambiance in the process. Next bass comes to the fore, casually strumming away until – BANG! Blasts, nightmare inducing vocals and crushing riffs shatter everything… Only to give way to another musical tentacle stretching session. The first concerted piece of speed – a mix of choppy riffs and punk black metal aesthetics – necessarily makes an impact. The bottom line is that Execration’s elastic take on death metal, with its chops and changes, brings very clearly to mind the likes of Obliteration and Morbus Chron who have both lately pushed the genre’s boundaries to the nth degree.
As an indication of the genre bending, ‘Ritual Hypnosis’ shifts unflinchingly from black metal to brief Gorguts-styled oddness to abrasive groove. This is a journey into peculiarity – tortured, blasting, disorientating – but none more so than in passages like the one in the second track where we enter a nightmarish dream sequence. Throughout, there is a somnambulistic quality to Execration’s compositions. In ‘Morbid Dimensions’ itself, after again being subjected to the musicians doing their idiosyncratic thing and accelerated into helplessness, the track operates like some psychopath wandering around, committing heinous crimes in the veil of its sleep. Playing further on this idea of conflicted identity comes the track ‘Doppelganger’. Reeking of unreality, the song opens with suitably vague riffs and odd, arachnid guitar lines. Rest (un)assured, Execration present the complete package both conceptually and musically when it comes to running rings around the listener.
Rather intuitively there is a ‘respite’ offered around the midpoint. By far the most linear composition on offer, ‘Tribulation Shackles’ hypnotises with its slow, semi-conscious crawl, and does ultimately provide some shelter from the torrent of alienation so far heaped on us. On the other hand, ‘Vestiges’ lulls the listener into a false sense of security before taking on the appearance of a predatory creature by exploding into the attack. Again, there are manifold twists and turns, inspiring a range of false perceptions. Honestly there’s just too much to write about when it comes to the album’s individual tracks – it has to be experienced to attempt to come to terms with. The only other more or less straight down the line one aside from ‘Tribulation Shackles’ is ‘Miasmal Sabbath’ which, as its name may hint, encompasses some fairly doom-ridden influences minus the booming low-end. Painfully and persistently the guitars and vocals harass until nippy speed takes hold, with riffs at the end that are awesome.
It goes without saying that ‘Morbid Dimensions’ is an album which requires time and an open mind to approach. It’s not the kind of disc you’ll pop in for background music or use as the soundtrack to a party (unless you’re demented). In some ways I prefer it to my experiences with the Scandinavian bands mentioned at the end of the second paragraph – the vocals are tastefully consistent and like the music, remain clearly traceable to the death metal genre. Less existential than Morbus Chron and more seamless (to these ears at least) than Obliteration, Execration’s approach strikes a really great balance between experimentation and extremity. The worst criticism to aim at ‘Morbid Dimensions’ is that it does sound influenced by the above acts. Hardly the end of the world though, especially when the music’s this good…
(9/10 Jamie)
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