Retromorphosis - Psalmus Mortis

Angry Metal Guy 80

When Sweden’s Spawn of Possession drew curtains on their distinguished career in 2017, it spelled the end of one of modern tech death’s finest acts. Bands across the globe flooded the scene in the intervening years, saturating the market to varying degrees of success. Emerging like fresh shoots from the earth in which Spawn of Possession were laid to rest, Retromorphosis features the gold plated pedigree of former Spawn of Possession mainstays Dennis Röndum (vocals), Jonas Bryssling (guitars) and Erlend Caspersen (bass), joining forces with another former SoP member and legendary shredder Christian Muenzner (Necrophagist, Obscura, Alkaloid), and classy, octopus-limbed drummer KC Howard (ex-Decrepit Birth, Odious Mortem). Boasting a bulletproof cast of esteemed metal musicians at their disposal, Retromorphosis appear hellbent on adding their own fresh perspective on the knotty tech death formula SoP made their own throughout their influential career. Debut album Psalmus Mortis naturally comes with lofty expectations and a line-up to salivate over.

Right away, it’s difficult to completely separate Retromorphosis from the SoP legacy. Beyond the obviously strong band DNA comes the fact that Retromorphosis share many of the same musical and songwriting traits. That said, it does a disservice to purely pin them as Spawn of Possession 2.0. This new incarnation has some tricks up their collective sleeves, unleashing an intricately constructed storm of cyclonic riffs, technical wizardry, rapid-fire blasts, and complex drum patterns. Similarities aside, Psalmus Mortis contains its own mutated characteristics and is not simply a rehashing of recycled ideas. The songwriting is exciting and inspired. There’s a little more flashy pizzazz in the solo department and more pronounced use of keys and synths adds a touch of epic bombast and sinister atmosphere to otherwise meaty, twisty compositions. However, the technicality does not compromise memorable, song-based writing.

Drenched in killer atmosphere and slow-building tension, opening instrumental “Obscure Exordium” crams loads of free-flowing ideas, orchestral touches, and good old-fashioned blasting into its short timeframe. The segue into the aggressive “Vanished” is smoothly executed, shifting gears from a brooding atmosphere to rugged, speedy attacks and whirlwind tempo shifts that define the track. Best absorbed in its entirety, the eight juggernauts boast dynamic variations, remarkable fluidity, and individual character. Robust, progressive-leaning shifts of “The Tree” navigates maze-like complexities through multiple moving parts, deftly maintaining fluency and memorability. Complex, thrashy, and aggressively riffy monster jams “Aunt Christie’s Will” and “Retromorphosis” represent ripping examples of the album’s strengths, exhibited through warped harmonies, lightspeed tempos, headbangable grooves, and grippingly infectious dual axework. “Machine” plunders and steamrolls through nine minutes of chugging riffage, brooding atmospheres, whip-smart tempo shifts, and proggy transitions, making every moment count. Only a couple of tracks fall marginally short of the overall pristine standards, though it’s a consistently gripping front-to-back listen.

Whereas some tech death bands fall victim to overindulgence, resulting in the deathly elements becoming afterthoughts, Retromorphosis avoid this pitfall. Thunderous kicks, machine gunning blasts, Röndum’s impactful growls, and the malevolent, sick old school grooves erupting from the labyrinthine arrangements offer resoundingly beefy, aggressive oomph to proceedings. Freakishly skilled talents abound, the musicianship is next-level awesome. Bryssling and Muenzner are a formidable force in the tech realms, delivering a masterclass of staggering technical mindfuckery, bamboozling solos, and an array of striking harmonies, otherworldly melodies, and intricate, catchy tech death riffs. The underrated vox and spitfire growls of Röndum (ex-Visceral Bleeding) lend the album a brutal, old-school edge, while Howard and Caspersen refuse to be overshadowed. The former’s blisteringly intense performance is perfectly matched to the complexity and dynamics of the material. Casperson makes his presence felt at key moments, offering a notable melodic counterpoint and presence. The sharp, punchy sound is polished but contains ample warmth and heft, the breathable master a big plus.

Featuring the bulk of the Incurso line-up, Psalmus Mortis is something of a spiritual successor, albeit a sleeker, polished counterpart. While it can’t quite match that modern classic, it’s an immense, dizzying tech-death debut of serious fucking proportions and exemplary musical chops. Retromorphosis more than live up to the dreaded supergroup tag. carrying on and reimagining the legacy of the legendary band in which they spawned. Retromorphosis raise the bar and put the tech death scene on notice in 2025. It’s an exciting prospect to see how Retromorphosis develops and evolves from here. All that’s missing is a Chalky guest spot.

Rating: 4.0/5.0
DR: 9 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Season of Mist
Websites: retromorphosisofficial.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/retromorphosis.swe
Releases Worldwide: February 21st, 2025

Maddog

The 2012 release of Spawn of Possession’s Incurso is Sharpied into my memory. At the time, I had devoured Cabinet and dabbled in Noctambulant but was no expert. Then, a now-defunct review on Heavy Blog is Heavy awarded Incurso a perfect score, arguing that it was the greatest tech-death album ever. Flabbergasted, I gave Incurso a listen. Spawn of Possession’s swansong ratcheted up the band’s technicality while trimming the band’s “Jonas” count from three to one. New guitarist Christian Muenzner (ex-Necrophagist, ex-Obscura, every other band) decorated the album with gorgeous leads. Meanwhile, Erlend Caspersen’s hyperactive bass lines balanced wizardry with finesse followed up with the coolest bass playthrough ever (“The Evangelist”). I grew to adore Spawn of Possession, and their subsequent fizzle-out was heartbreaking. Retromorphosis’ recent inception was equally thrilling. Retromorphosis’ debut Psalmus Mortis aims to resurrect SoP’s legacy and boasts four of the five members of the Incurso line-up. My expectations started out sky-high.

BOOM, BANG boom, weedle-weedle skree, BOOM, BANG boom, weedle-weedle-weedle weedle-DOO, BOOM, WEE-bang-DLE-doo—yes, they’re back. Spawn of Possession’s signature sprawls across Psalmus Mortis, and the universe is better off for it. Guitarists Jonas Bryssling and Christian Muenzner offer neither a Viraemian noodle fest nor a monotony of has-been death metal. Rather, their hybrid approach is at once acrobatic, shamelessly melodic, and more riff-centric than Incurso. Retromorphosis’ neoclassical melodies flail and interweave, evoking Necrophagist while wielding both heft and beauty. On the other hand, Psalmus Mortis’ chunky riffs flirt with old-school death metal and even death-doom (“Obscure Exordium,” “Vanished”). Similarly, new drummer KC Howard (Odious Mortem, ex-Decrepit Birth) bludgeons his kit with both class and frenzy, guiding the music through bewildering rhythms. Dennis Röndum’s vocals take a manic Archspiresque approach without sacrificing clarity. Like Spawn of Possession, Retromorphosis uses backing synths and foreboding guitar melodies to set the scene. Landing between Noctambulant and Incurso, Psalmus Mortis’ style feels familiar but fresh.

Psalmus Mortis by Retromorphosis

When Psalmus Mortis delivers, it’s a thrill. The album grabs the listener with both its technical gymnastics and its MMA maneuvers. The closer “Exalted Splendour” showcases trapezing Obscura-style leads that balance grandeur and fun, while “Vanished” remains headbangable even through its spastic rhythm changes. Even when Psalmus Mortis resorts to unrestrained noodling, it uses its melodic backbone to avoid getting soggy (“Retromorphosis”). Conversely, the straightforward six-note tremolo riff that underpins “Aunt Christie’s Will” is the record’s most memorable snippet, while the midsection of “Retromorphosis” is tinged with Immolation’s Unholy Cult. Still, Psalmus Mortis’ 42 minutes aren’t consistently engaging. This is partly because of bloat, like the sleepy first half of the nine-minute “Machine.” It’s partly because of a frustratingly muted bass presence from the phenomenal Caspersen. And it’s partly just because certain riffs lack power (“Never to Awake”). Psalmus Mortis is a strong outing, but it sometimes feels more like a purely intellectual exercise than an exciting ride.

However, Incurso’s narrative quality remains Psalmus Mortis’ greatest asset. Psalmus Mortis feels like a collection of Poe stories. Retromorphosis’ smooth but dogged plot development defines “The Tree,” a tale of environmental neglect where the protagonist’s escalating missteps are accompanied by escalating musical urgency. Throughout the record, guitar melodies summon suffocating atmospheres, wrenching the mood from awe to terror and back again. Plot twists and masterful storytelling culminate in colossal climaxes, like the dramatic melody that accompanies the narrator’s revelation in “Retromorphosis.” Even as they evolve, Psalmus Mortis’ songs stay tethered to recognizable themes, like the main melody and lyrical refrain that anchor “Aunt Christie’s Will.” Psalmus Mortis’ narrative flow stands unmatched by any genre-mates other than Gorod and Spawn of Possession themselves.

Psalmus Mortis isn’t a modern classic, but it’s better than we deserve. Spawn of Possession’s take on death metal has proven to be both immortal and peerless. Retromorphosis’ debut offers an unforeseen glimpse at a style that had seemingly faded into the realm of archaeology. Dips in quality and underuse of Caspersen’s bass prowess hold it back from excellence. But Psalmus Mortis’ blend of XXXXL death metal riffs, dizzying rhythms, and blistering technicality is highly combustible. Most of all, the record’s approach to storytelling stands apart. The last decade taught me that while Spawn of Possession hits hard at first, it improves with age. Come 2030, I may regret underrating this album.



Rating: Very Good

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