There is something very interesting about ‘Doom Metástasis’: practically every song maintains a very high level within the kind of proposal Morbid Stench is presenting. There are very few moments that feel like filler, and there is no sense that the band is trying to artificially stretch its compositions. On the contrary, every track seems to have a clear purpose within this dark, heavy journey, deeply rooted in the old school of Doom/Death metal.
One of the first things that caught my attention was precisely that connection with the early 1990s. There are moments that inevitably bring to mind bands like Paradise Lost, My Dying Bride, and in general that first generation that managed to transform doom metal into something much heavier, darker, and more emotional.
And that becomes even more interesting considering that Morbid Stench comes from Central America. Their music could easily have emerged from some cold, grey, damp corner of Europe in the early ’90s. It has that character, that atmosphere, and that way of understanding doom that does not seem geographically tied to where the band comes from.
The songs are long, but they work. The structures breathe. They rise. They fall. They become dense. Then they recover a certain dynamic movement before sinking back into darkness.
There is a very powerful doom cadence running through the album, one that keeps the compositions alive even when the tempos drop and everything seems to move slowly toward the abyss. That is important, because writing long and slow songs without turning them into something monotonous requires much more than simply lowering the speed.
The vocals are also exceptional. They have the necessary weight to support the entire instrumental mass and contribute enormously to that permanent sense of darkness surrounding the album.
Even though there are only a few songs, their length makes ‘Doom Metástasis’ feel like a very complete work. I do not know Morbid Stench’s older material in enough depth to make an exhaustive comparison with their previous releases, but I can certainly say that anyone interested in early-’90s Doom/Death will find something very appealing here.
This music practically immolates you inside the darkness.
Among the tracks, “Narcissistic God” is probably one of the moments that best captures the band’s identity. It has weight, atmosphere, and that ability to slowly drag you deeper into their world.
Morbid Stench leaves no confusion about what they want to be. The intention is clear. The catharsis is clear as well.
The music enters through your ears, moves through your body, and stays there for a long time, like a slow infection that keeps spreading even after the album has ended.
And perhaps that is precisely the greatest virtue of ‘Doom Metástasis’. It does not try to escape its roots. It digs deeper into them. It makes them darker. And it turns them into something of its own.
Highly recommended. Congratulations to Morbid Stench. Now all that remains is to…buy the record.
