I have long been a fan of Death Metal and many of its various subgenres. Symphonic Death Metal like FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE, Blackened Death Metal like SVART CROWN or BEHEMOTH, Melodic Death Metal like AMON AMARTH (admittedly their older stuff), hell even Folk Death Metal like ELUVEITIE. The list goes on and on. However, sometimes it is great to just put on some pure death metal and experience the blood curdling and hellish riffs, the heart attack inducing beats, and the gutturals that even Satan would appreciate. Brazil's ESCARNIUM provides just that, brutal, ear bleeding death metal. Today I get to present to you their second full length album "Interitus," Latin for ruin, utter destruction, untimely death, and other such similar things. Highly fitting for this masterpiece of brutality among its ceaseless beat, eviscerating riffs, and unholy solos.

In all, there are eight tracks when you don't count "The Horror" and "Macabre Rites", short interludes clocking in at 24 seconds and 50 seconds respectively. The album properly starts with "While the Furnace Burns", and it does not take it's time to start. Right off the bat you are hit with blasting drums and a brutal riff. The song does give you a minute to breathe, thought only because the tune becomes more gradual but just as brutal. This only lasts a moment, as then comes a high pitched, slightly thrash inspired guitar solo that continues to display the technical capabilities of this band. Next comes "Starvation Death Process", which is potentially the slowest song on the album. To call anything on this album slow though would be like calling a massacre rife with dismemberment "just a flesh wound". It does have a great sound to it, and the riffs here are incredibly well done, and the slow gradual drum beat combined with all of these makes this song incredibly head-bangable. Of course, though, I have to talk about the namesake song "Omnis Mortuus Est - Interitus". This song could also compete for slowest (in the same sense as before) but more fitting would be more gradual. While technically impressive it doesn't have rapidly changing chords in its riffs, which fits really well here as the drum beat is the same way, a gradual rapid fire beat. While other songs will be much more complex technically, this one opts for a slower pace change in chords and a heavier focus on the double bass drum beat. Other songs do this to but this song exemplifies it, and it is very well done and fitting and make this a great song on the album.

The next song, "Genocide Ritual", goes right back to the brutal riffs and drums, and I have to give props for the riffs in this one. The riffs here really seem to stand out, especially in the chorus, and this song exudes a sense of impending destruction. The song does end very abruptly, but this seems to favor the song. Some may prefer it slowly fading out, I prefer the abrupt ending in this song because of the rapid brutality the song has. Ultimately it is a matter of preference though. The last song I will mention is "100 Days of Bloodbath" a great song overall, but what I love most is the slow increase in brutality. By the end it is a relentless assault on your senses, bombarded by drum beats and brutal riffs. I really enjoy this most about the song, because it makes the end of the song highly worth it.

I must admit, it was hard to review this album. Not because it was bad but because it was so good and hard to pick which parts and songs to review. I listened to this album at least 3 times, and I could never help but say "Holy s*** this band is great". This was an amazing piece of death metal, and I must especially give props to Nestor Carrera for his drum work. I'll often joke that gods walk among us in the form of death metal drummers, but if they did then he helps to prove this. Overall an amazing piece with incredible technical work, amazing riffs, and I cannot give enough praise for this album really. ESCARNIUM has a new fan who can't wait to hear more from them, and I only hope they become bigger so I can see them live and so that they get the fanbase this amazing gem deserves.