A remarkable debut release

Brutal death metal is a genre that can be quite difficult to appreciate at times. It took me some time to get my head around some of its intricacies. I would now consider it to be one of my favourite sub-genres. Unfortunately there don’t seem to be many bands from the southern hemisphere that are playing it so I was excited to hear what New Zealand’s Ulcerate had to offer, especially considering the only other band from New Zealand that I can name and really enjoy is Demoniac who bit the dust a long time ago.

Straight off the bat it is clear that Ulcerate have a bit more to them than some of the more generic brutal death bands around. The music is essentially a riff soup that is continually stopping, starting and changing tempo. There aren’t any direct comparisons to be made to other bands though there are plenty of influences including Hate Eternal, Dillinger Escape Plan and Meshuggah.

The sheer intensity of this album is something to behold. It is hard to believe that this is the band’s debut release. It has all the characteristics of a band that have been playing and recording together for years. It is a credit to their musicianship and provides a glimpse and a hint towards what they may be able to achieve in the future.

Not only is Of Fracture and Failure extremely heavy, it is ultra technical also. There isn’t a moment where the entire band are resting on their laurels. While the guitars are shredding away, drummer Jamie Saint Merat is putting in one of the most spirited performances I have heard for some time. Though he isn’t the fastest drummer I have ever heard (but certainly not a slouch by any means) his choice of beats and fills is really interesting and creative. His playing reminds me a lot of the late Steve MacDonald from Gorguts.

The only area that deserved a bit more attention was the production which is a bit thin and flat and doesn’t really do the music a lot of justice. Everything is audible but lacks the bite and the punch that would push the sound to the next level.

Though it would be great to claim them as our own, it is still fantastic to see a band from the southern hemisphere that can easily match the big boys blow for blow. They are an asset to New Zealand’s metal scene and should have a long future if things keep going the way they are.