Vorus - Desolate Eternities (2024)

★★

Collectively, all of the staff here were excited for this release. From the cover art’s colorful homage to Sodom’s Obsessed by Cruelty, to the song titles and general vibe of the album pre-release, I thought I’d be in for an old-school death metal treat. However, upon listening to this 41-minute long repugnant mess, it felt as though I’d been tricked. Showered in riffs and OSDM motifs that I’ve heard a million times before, the album felt tired, uninspired, and frankly unoriginal. That’s not to say it was a complete mess – there are some fantastic bits sprinkled throughout this maze of torment, like the bass intro on Deathly Cycle of Existence and the immensely low growls of Uriel Aguillon – but it wasn’t the fresh and exciting release I had come to expect. Despite these drawbacks, Vorus’s track record seems to be improving with each release. Their first couple of albums were wholly forgettable and sloppy, but Desolate Eternities saw a step up in terms of songwriting and quality – however recycled it may be. Hopefully by their next release, we’ll see a fairly competent OSDM release from this aspiring Romanian quartet.

FAVORITE TRACKS: "Moribund's Hollow Gaze," "Deathly Cycle of Existence"

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Originally published in March '24 (Issue No. 2)