Ulcerate – Cutting The Throat Of God Review

Sometimes, I’m my own worst enemy. Like many of you, I often dwell on the thought of my mortality, my fears, and my failures. And this piece isn’t meant to be some sentimental anecdote or thesis on the meaning of life. However, I must mention there are points when I ponder these facts more than others. One of those moments is when I listen to music. As cliché as that may be, it’s undoubtedly true. Some artists spark those moments of reflection profoundly, leading me to this review’s subject.

Megatons of sound are lifted from the southern hemisphere every few years from the New Zealand-based dissonant death metal titans in Ulcerate. It’s no secret that this intentionally discordant genre is either loved or hated, but therein also lies the subtle fact that it can be challenging to turn your ear away when you hear it. At times, it’s akin to gazing eye level into the depths of disaster. But it’s in our human nature to continue glaring. Coincidentally, that’s precisely what it’s like to withstand the flurry of weight of the band’s last five releases, Stare into Death and Be Still, Shrines of Paralysis, Vermis, The Destroyers of All, and Everything Is Fire. With each subsequent album, Ulcerate dove deeper and deeper into the rottenest center of the human psyche, all culminating with those above and—in my opinion—their best release up to that point, Stare into Death and Be Still.

Nearly four years after the release of that album, Ulcerate is back with Cutting the Throat of God. As expected, it continues the tradition of embarking into the depths of technicality and atmosphere. The band has yet again shown their brilliance in maintaining both traits on Cutting the Throat of God for what I can only describe using a paradox: meditative chaos. Of course, at times, bands like the Italian death metal outfit Ad Nauseam and even the United States’s Artificial Brain throw me into a similar mentality. Still, there seems to be something about Ulcerate’s songwriting that captivates me in ways that few others have yet to in terms of their perfect blend of complexity and sheer attention to the vibes of a record.

You’ll notice immediately the emotional weight the band can create on the opener, “To Flow Through Ashen Hearts.” Throughout the track, Ulcerate interweaves their signature tempo changes backed by ultra-hypnotic soaring notes and beautifully disordered riffing, almost like you’re being stretched apart slowly, limb-by-limb, from the stress of a black hole. The song continues to open gradually before inevitably descending into a hellish pit of tattered and torn guttural vocals howled triumphantly over tremolo picking and hefty chords. On the heels of the victorious ending of “To Flow Through Ashen Hearts,” Ulcerate backs into a depressive offering with “The Dawn Is Hollow.” Here, you’ll hear and feel the atmospheric emphasis the Kiwis have been sharpening for over a decade. While you’ll without question notice the influence of a band like Blut Aus Nord vibrating early on, Ulcerate also conjures up some pretty catchy melodies, most notably around the song’s halfway point, enhanced with reverbed arpeggios.

The most impressive quality of Cutting the Throat of God—and if you’re a fan of the band, you’ll know what I’m talking about—is how suffocating it can be, but none of that is as simple as pointing at the heaviest track on the record. Take, for example, “Further Opening the Wounds,” one of the more up-tempo and heavier songs on the album featuring some of the most brilliant work behind the kit, is matched by the psychological heaviness of a more laid-back tune—if you want to call it that—like “Transfiguration in and Out of Worlds.” Granted, “Transfiguration…” does pick up the pace eventually; it’s a testament to how you don’t necessarily need to be bombarded by constant blast beats or eight-string guitars to equate heaviness.

After nearly a half hour of breathing in Cutting the Throat of God, “To See Death Just Once” gathers the most vital remnants of each prior track, bestowing a monolith of tension and polyrhythms. I shouldn’t venture too far without mentioning how well-produced the album is. It feels similar to that of Stare into Death and Be Still, matching its thickness and depth. Much of the same could be said for the near-10-minute epic, “Undying as an Apparition.” If I haven’t clarified, it’s incredible how the band can keep your attention for a full-length with numerous songs eclipsing the seven-minute mark. However, the band does just that throughout the album’s entirety. 

When I reminisce on Stare into Death and Be Still, I look back most fondly on the closer and one of my favorite songs from 2020, “Dissolved Orders.” And while Ulcerate would have to climb a steep mountain to eclipse that finale, I think they got close with the title track, “Cutting the Throat of God.” Perhaps it didn’t exceed the grandiose “Dissolved Orders,” but it’s incredibly strong. It’s heavy, atmospheric, and delivers the “credits-roll” approach the band is so prolific at.

As I sit here writing this and think back on the words and notes I’ve jotted down, maybe we’ve reached the point where comparisons to their prior releases are nil. Does it matter if this new album is better than Stare into Death and Be Still or Everything Is Fire? In 2024, this is exactly what I was hoping to hear from a new Ulcerate album: a fusion of unfathomable heaviness, methodical technicality, and otherworldly atmosphere. The New Zealand trio has reached a state in their careers where you expect excellence with each release, and that’s precisely what you’ll hear on LP No. 7. Put simply, despite its name, there are no open wounds to cauterize on Cutting the Throat of God.