Belgium’s Carnation hit their tenth anniversary this year, and what better way to celebrate it than with a new full length? Over the course of their previous two albums the group has channeled familiar elements of old-school death metal like darker atmosphere and that buzzsaw HM-2 tone, but they’ve done so in a way that has stood out from some of the others in the genre. On Cursed Mortality Carnation has attempted to branch out a bit without abandoning their roots, incorporating some clean singing and hints of gothic/doom tonality in between their usual death metal onslaught. It may not fully click with everyone, but this willingness to step slightly outside of their comfort zone results in a strong album that has a little more substance compared to the standard HM-2 fare.
It's clear from opener “Herald of Demise” that Carnation has sought to up the atmospheric side of their sound a bit more, as the first minute utilizes sweeping guitar leads with a cleaner tone and creepier melodies that create a dark and eerie sound before the HM-2 comes lurching in. The bulk of Cursed Mortality is still built around what the band does best, which is heavy hitting death metal that moves between faster attacks and slower, methodical ones. But there is a decent amount of variety built into these more straightforward moments, as “Maruta” throws in some D-beat while “Submerged in Deafening Silence” and “Cycle of Suffering” slow things way down in favor of some denser grooves. But it’s the melodic breaks that really differentiate this album from its two predecessors, as both “Replicant” and the title track push Carnation’s sound outwards. Both songs let the HM-2 fade out in favor of an ominous melodic lead that seems to dance over the recording for a minute or two before the instrumentals double down on the heaviness. These softer nuances remind me of 90s gothic/doom bands a bit and even some funeral doom, but they’re used as additional flourishes and don’t take away from the old-school death metal roots. Admittedly a few of the more straightforward moments do blur together over repeat listens and the title track feels a bit overstretched at over seven minutes in length, but there are still plenty of highlights that have kept me coming back for more.
The two songs that feature singing are likely to be hit or miss with listeners depending on their personal tastes, so Carnation was smart to give it a few songs before they revealed this element of the sound on Cursed Mortality. For the first three tracks the emphasis is solely on Simon Duson’s low-pitched growl that has a good amount of power behind it, which continues to suit the HM-2 heaviness the guitars offer. “Replicant” showcases the pivot into singing, though it’s important to note that it isn’t for the entire song. The first two minutes feature interplay between singing and growling, and the clean ranges give off a sound that’s very not death metal. It’s much softer and this may be where people bounce off it, but I personally found that it added some additional layers to Carnation’s sound and suited what they were going for. I’m curious if it’s an area they’ll expand upon in the future or not, as there’s potential to weave it in with the growling even further and continue to head in some different directions from the band’s peers.
Considering how much focus was put on the melodic shifts and Carnation branching out with this album, the end result isn’t as drastic of a changes as one might expect. The singing and darker, atmospheric moments add some interesting flourishes to the old-school death metal foundation, and while there’s room to expand upon it even further in the future there’s still plenty to like about what this effort has to offer. It doesn’t quite reach the upper echelon of death metal in 2023 for me, but this is still a great listen that fans of everything HM-2 and beyond will appreciate. Cursed Mortality is available from Season of Mist.
-Review by Chris Dahlberg