Album Review: Pulchra Morte - Ex Rosa Ceremonia
Reviewed by Paul Hutchings
The second album from US death doom outfit Pulchra Morte, Ex Rosa Ceremonia harks back to the early 1990s and the arrival of bands such as Paradise Lost and My Dying Bride. In fact, the band have made no secret of their love for that doom laden sound around the time of ‘Gothic’ and whilst they have taken their lead from the music of that time, this is not a tribute act, far from it.
A couple of line up changes sees Pulchra Morte’s recording line-up for this sophomore release comprise Adam Clemans (Skeletonwitch, Wolvhammer), John Porada (Wolvhammer, Abigail Williams), Jarrett Pritchard (Eulogy, Brutality), Clayton Gore (Eulogy, Harkonin), and Jeffrey Breden (Leagues Below). Their debut album ‘Divina Autem Et Aniles’ was released in February 2019 and was a crucial slab of heaviness. ‘Ex Rosa Ceremonia’ certainly doesn’t shrink back from that debut, and continues to maintain the heaviness, adding melody and episodes of clean vocals which work well alongside Clemans more demonic guttural roars that dominate.
The band have drawn a huge number of luminaries from the extreme metal scene to provide backing vocals on opening song ‘The Serpent’s Choir’, a huge intro to the album. From there, there is little way of stopping this great steam train of an album. Huge crushing riffs are the order of the day from the start, and songs such as ‘Fires of Coil’, ‘Knife of the Will’ and ‘Locust Humanity’ are all monstrous beasts. There is certainly a heavy, riff driven agenda as Pulchra Morte vary tempo and intensity throughout.
Their sound is massive, with a solid production ensuring that the earthiness of the band’s reverberations is captured without losing any of the essential rawness. Having stated that their original aim was to “explore and deliver songs of weight, atmosphere and feeling”, it’s evident that Pulchra Morte have achieved that. The funeral march that introduces ‘Prince Among Shadows’ for example, is suffocating in its intensity. Then there is the acoustic conclusion to the crushing ‘To Suffer (The Way You Do)’. There are subtle shades of light laced throughout the record, but the overall feel and lyrical themes remain focused on death in all its various guises, shapes, and interpretations.
Musically, Pulchra Morte are tighter than the proverbial Scotsman in a bar. The drums of Clayton Gore are particularly noteworthy, his precision timing and sheer power massively impressive. Elsewhere, the duel riffage of Pritchard and Breden is locked in to provide a sledgehammer of riffs whilst Porada’s pummelling bass lines add heft. Of course, it is of note that these are musicians that have been around the scene for many years and it shows.
‘Ex Rosa Ceremonia’ is a colossal album. Produced and recorded in old school style on tape at Matt Talbot’s Earth Analog Studios and at Pritchard’s home studio, this is a record which captures the essence of those darker, death doom metal days. It certainly is an album to consider when it is released.
ICYMI - you can check out our interview with the band here.
