Review: “Stillborn Rebirth” by Vermis Mortem

Six long years after their last confession, Salvador Brazil based Black Metal quartet Vermis Mortem have returned as if summoned from beyond the grave. They bring with them a debut album in “Stillborn Rebirth” which has quite literally been eleven years in the making and something they describe as “a harrowing journey into the depths of despair and chaos, where every riff is a blade slicing through the veil of reality, and every beat is a pounding heartbeat of the hades“. It features three cuts which originally appeared on their 2014 EP “Evil Never Dies” and three more from 2016 split “Southern Evil“, each one in a new, freshly recorded form from a new line up in which only Marcelo Almeida and Alexandre Vitorino remain. Whether we would have seen more from them if it wasn’t for the commitments to other projects including Divine Pain, Quinto dos Infernos and God Funeral to name but a few remains a mystery but for now, death awaits…

Laced with themes of Death, War and Evil, the four horsemen of the apocalypse begin with “Bestial Warfare“, an instrumental overlayed by a speech sample “I am become death the destroyer of worlds” which sets a dark and evil tone. From there they dive headlong into the rampage of “Genocide” like taking a swan dive into the asphalt, a restless and relentless performance from drummer Daniel Brandão providing the backbone. Purposefully a little raw around the edges with a DIY or DIE approach and a second wave of Black Metal sound, the band sound like a combination of Venom and Motorhead with a Death Metal vocalist. The Black n’ Roll meets Speed Metal of “I Hate The World” has a distinctly timeless edge to it, the tornado of souls it summons very much reminiscent of recent works by Sadistic Force. An eclectic solo is accompanied by blood gargling vocals as the wings of this old school nostalgia trip are unfurled, the demon taking to flight with “Dark Planes of The Existence“. What’s intriguing about it is that while the vocals are savage, the songs aren’t as sonically heavy as the band opt for nuance in their satanic rituals rather than all out destruction. That helps keep them away from the Death Metal offerings of some of their other projects as they tread the left hand path, their stories of evil wrapped in a cloak of mystery.

The feel of the band playing live from the floor is captured in “Death From Above” even if it is not credited as such, a couple of old school Thrash moments keeping this one a fresh as a rotten daisy as Vermis Mortem drag us through the gates of hell, kicking and screaming. A solo in the final moments is a nice touch, the pounding percussion driving the nails into the coffin lid as if at the hands of the reaper himself. Far from a blackened power ballad, “Fornication into The Crypt” feels like a low budget slasher film inspired piece about a virgin sacrifice to open a gate into hell’s hallways. A little eerie and a little haunting, it’s a play on atmosphere that works well without deviating too far from the bands sound. Tremolo picking comes into force with “Crucifix Burns My Flesh“, a cut which finds Brandão at his finest and most imaginative behind the kit. Haunting leads draw the venom out from the wound after the flesh is punctured by the fangs of a poisonous snake, the dance macabre playing out in sinister fashion, the throat scraping vocals and evil screams adding a little spice. If the band are to continue then cuts like “Watcher of My Dreams Alu Limnu” pave the way for that, offering a glimpse at what their new cryptic writings might sound like. Taking a old school Blackened Thrash direction, this one has at its heart a classy solo and blistering blast beats from calloused hands that feel like an artillery shelling. A solid collection of tunes that have stood the test of time and work well together, hopefully this now closes the chapter and allows the band to write something entirely fresh… [7.5/10]

Track Listing

1. Bestial Warfare
2. Genocide
3. I Hate The World
4. Dark Planes of The Existence
5. Death From Above
6. Fornication into The Crypt
7. Crucifix Burns My Flesh
8. Watcher of My Dreams Alu Limnu

“Stillborn Rebirth” by Vermis Mortem is out 20th March 2024 and is available over at bandcamp