Back in 2017, one of the premier tech death metal bands called it quits. Spawn of Possession had proven themselves as a force to be reckoned with and while they only released three albums, fans praise their catalog for the sheer speed, brutality and technicality. While there was a fourth album planned, the group disbanded before it could happen. Fortunately, for those who've been waiting, we are essentially seeing that album now with Retromorphosis' 'Psalmus Mortis'. All of the final line up of Spawn of Possession are back with the exception of drummer Henrik Schönström who has been replaced by former Decrepit Birth drummer KC Howard.
Clearly, the band hasn't lost a step as the instrumental opening track "Obscure Exordium" harkens back to the 'Incurso' closing track "Apparition" with its symphonic nature swelling of devastation and intensity as the flood gates begin to overflow. After setting the tone,"Vanished" comes in and showcases itself as one of the most
technically proficient efforts here and with its furious and frantic riffing and outrageously precise rhythmic sections finds itself as my favorite song on the album. The title track is another standout with its ferocious shredding intro and vocalist Dennis Röndum delivering some of his best vocal work that I found reminiscent of George "Corpsegrinder" Fisher. "Machine" is a bit of a change of pace, as it's more of a mid-tempo offering, but still wildly heavy. By embracing more of the symphonic elements, I found myself having fleeting thoughts of Cradle of Filth and Dimmu Borgir. The musicianship found on 'Psalmus Mortis' is second to none and a true standout out in the modern tech death genre.
~TJ