Review: “The Oldest Crypt” by Devs Mortvorvm

Crawling from the grave in 2015 by the writing partnership of guitarist David Briones (Rotten Hate, Son in Curse, The Black Harvest) and vocalist Claudio Carrasco (Antucuran, Diabolvs, Poema Arcanvs), Devs Mortvorvm emerged with a clear mission: to play Graveyard Doom Death, inspired by legendary acts such as Goatlord, Derketa, early Cathedral and Autopsy. The pair brought in the experienced Andrés Henríquez (Budasses, Saturno) on drums and Felipe Vuletich (BlackFlow, Diabolvs) on bass however the project sat on the back burner with other projects and priorities taking precedence. That changed in August 2024 with the grand unveiling of the bands first demo as the Santiago Chile natives prepared for their first ever live show. That took place at the MiBar in their home city on 13th September, a venue to which the band returned on 20th December to record a live rendition of “Orgy in the Graveyard” for their debut EP.

Recorded in sessions between July 2023 and September 2024 at Black Sheep Studios, its safe to day that debut EP “The Oldest Crypt” by Devs Mortvorvm is long overdue but the promise of a putrid sermon steeped in the stench of traditional death metal and the mournful crawl of doomed melodies is not one to be missed. Better late than never as they say. Adorned by artwork from Julián Mora, the record runs to an unholy trinity of original compositions that start with “Orgy in the Graveyard” and if the title doesn’t give you enough of a clue, the band runs on themes from death and sex to necrophilia and sick humour. The sound of flies buzzing around the festering corpse serves as the introduction for a slightly unnerving 60 seconds before the low and slow riff fit for worship takes hold. Dark and depraved, the lyrical narrative is there for all to witness as Carrasco sounds like a catacomb dweller in search of light. Leads and a solo ignite the kerosene as the bass rumbles insistently and it has to be said that it takes serious concentration to play that this monolithic speed. “Love For The Dead” then crawls out from under the gravestones, a Sludge Metal infused bass line introducing the flavour of Crowbar to this occult offering. Carrasco gets experimental with his vocals, offering some spoken word moments that sound like they’re reverberating around a mortuary inside a church, while all around him the world burns with the depravity. The riffs remain at the forefront as the rhythmic drive drags us back to hell, the searing white hot intensity a thing of dark beauty. Finishing on a high with a mesmerising solo is the metaphorical equivalent of putting a cherry on top of the cake.

The title track “The Oldest Crypt” feels reminiscent of Brendan Auld projects, the mid-tempo abrasions cutting deep into the soul with their monolithic brutality as Carrasco spits blood and venom. A haunting mid section has eerie leads that dig into old school low budget horror movie atmospherics in tasteful fashion and those become more spellbinding in the final moments as Carrasco warns you to stay way. A cover of the Goatlord classic “Acid Orgy” feels very much in keeping with the original material, the quartet paying homage to their heroes by candle light. Creepy riffs and chugged chord progressions build the momentum, the band reaching overdrive with a higher tempo mid section before slowing back down dramatically. Allowing Vuletich’s bass to bleed out is a masterstroke of nuance that works incredibly well. The aforementioned live rendition of “Orgy in the Graveyard” completes the saga of tales from beyond the grave, benefitting from the lead guitars bolder in the mix and the intro of flies being just 14 seconds. This is exactly the kind of record that could easily become a cult classic… [7/10]

Track Listing

1. Orgy in the Graveyard
2. Love for the Dead
3. The Oldest Crypt
4. Acid Orgy (Goatlord cover)
5. Orgy in the Graveyard (live)

“The Oldest Crypt” by Devs Mortvorvm is out 6th June 2025 via Apocalyptic Productions