Everything Is Fire is the album dropped by Ulcerate in ’09, defined by mid-paced droning and lethargic guitar work, accompanied by brooding, almost tribal drumming. At times, I am teased by subtle hints of twangy stoner metal riffs, but these moments are quickly overshadowed by the inherent intensity of the music. Although they are self-proclaimed Death Metal, I am overwhelmed by the heavy influence of Extreme Metal. This is like Morbid Angel for a new generation.
The guitars are so distorted that it’s difficult to discern any kind of melody to the music. That’s not to say it sounds bad; On the contrary, they are very technical, but it seems as though they deliberately avoided any kind of melodiousness or consonance. The drumming is exceptional, but the use of cymbals is frequent almost to the point of excess. The music is characterized by a strong rhythm, and unlike most Death Metal, it is thunderous percussion and not guitar hooks that are integral to their unique style.
The gutteral vocals perfectly portray the dismal, nihilistic lyrics. My favorite lines come from”Soullesness Embraces”:
“Etched into the earth’s effigy
The graven image of man
Inhale your idols and parasites
Cold blood of the declining all.”
The lyricists have a way with words… And a talent for embodying the macabre. This coupled with the uber-rhythmic nature of the music augurs for one hell of an album. Personally, I loved the fact that the drumming was the nucleus around which the music orbited, and not some obnoxiously catchy guitar riff that gets stuck in your head. It’s a great album, solid and consistent while differentiating itself from other Tech-Death acts. I’ll admit that it’s too abrasive to listen to repeatedly in succession, but that’s just the nature of the genre. Four stars out of five.
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