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SANCTUARIUM
Melted And Decomposed

Me Saco Un Ojo / BlackSeed Productions (2024)
Rating: 8/10

A year on from their vile Into The Mephitic Abyss opus, Spanish death mongers Sanctuarium spew out their sickly follow up. With Melted And Decomposed, the band have constructed forty-eight minutes of disgusting stodge. Five elongated evil tracks ensue, rippling within their own fetid algae pools rimmed with snot, rot and blood clots.

As depicted with the malformed entities on the cover, this is a hellish and repugnant outing dripping with unnatural tumult and abysmal and absurd track titles that for the most part contain the word “of”! ‘Exultant Dredge Of Nameless Tombs’, ‘Sadistic Cremation Of Emaciated Offal’ and ‘The Disembodied Grip Of Putrescine Stench’ are proof not only of this but the fact that death metal bands are still trying to come up with the most intricately repulsive song titles, even if the novelty is starting to wear off. Add ‘Abhorrent Excruciation In Reprisal’ and ‘Phlegmatic Convulsions’ and you’ve got yourself another diaper full of doom n’ death.

Of course, within those layers of clogged sediment and scabby silt there are batches of blustery riffs, but the whole dismal effect here is to tap into some surreal and squalid void only inhabited by a few other warped beings, ala Trollcave. A lot of bands tamper with these levels of humid putridity, but Sanctuarium locks into an extra dimension of horror as evidenced on opener ‘Abhorrent Excruciation In Reprisal’ which sounds like Morbid Angel or Incantation daubed in syrup! The crushing doom rolling, the lumbering plateaus of gloop and then the hastier blasts of evil winds result in nine minutes of cavernous gloom.

‘Exultant Dredge Of Nameless Tombs’ is equally miasmic in its morbid shifts, the percussion acting like grinding pistons within walls of noxious fumes and juddering flab. Some of the more drawn out squalls have a mournful ooze, reminding me of Grave Miasma. ‘Phlegmatic Convulsions’ drags you into a lair of despondency and is utterly draining in its rancid oozing to the point of almost ceasing to exist.

Due to Sanctuarium’s decision to remain firmly in the doomier side, songs such as ‘Sadistic Cremation Of Emaciated Offal’ literally seep then congeal; slow motion drudgery of loathsome and lethargic guitars combining with a stark toll of despairing drum and bass. There’s no unnecessary drama here, just slimy and slummy filth born from some early 90s cyst. ‘The Disembodied Grip Of Putrescine Stench’ wraps things up with another foul blast before reverting back to a creeping quicksand slog circa Disembowelment or even early sluggish Cathedral.

Melted And Decomposed is a testing opus at times, crawling like over thickened soup. However, there’s such a hideous presence within, a lurking dread which you’ll eventually succumb to. Sanctuarium have created another suffocating and smothering composition of decomposition.

Neil Arnold

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