OUTRE-TOMBE is a French Canadian Death metal band hailing from the metal capital of Canada. Formed in 2010 in Quebec City, Quebec (not to be mistaken with the band D'OUTRE-TOMBE also from Quebec), they have two prior full length releases that have gathered them a strong fan base in all of Quebec and great reviews from their first full album Répurgation. They now fittingly return on Halloween with their third full length offering Abysse Mortifère.

The album starts off with the titled track and you are greeted with a prolonged tormented scream that then leads the way into a full-frontal Death metal assault. Though the song sets up potential, the bass drum seems quite muffled and remains so throughout the album. The second track "Cenobytes" comes out firing with forceful guitars that take you by storm and an aggressive growl to lead the hordes into battle. A duo of differently paced guitar solos work their way into this song and are demanded to be heard in the album's entirety. The next few songs are filled with great riffs and solos that really seem to take over the songs, they foreshadow any existence of bass, and with the speed of certain songs, are the only thing that seem to cripple the double bass.

"Exsangue" and "Haut et Court" come at you with a little less tempo and some killer riffs, but stand out on the album to me due to the fact that when the tempo is decreased, you can actually hear the rhythm section, along with the guitars as a whole. At the mind numbing speed at which the album is delivered, it is a pleasant change. The album finishes off with the track "Haruspex", and is a fitting end to the carnage. Crachat's demonic snarl fits well into the chaos that consumes you from beginning to end. The guitars work off of a sludgy Doom metal riff and slip effortlessly back and forth with dominating Death metal, that will surely make heads bang.

Upon listening to the band's first two albums, I would have to say that this falls a little short of expectations. Not at all with the songs themselves, as they are loaded with great riffs and solos that are to be found in almost every track. The vocals pair well with the sound and the drums are intense. I am not sure if they are going for a more live sound with the production on this album, but that is what comes across to me. There just is not enough distinction between workings with the dominate double bass and rapid fire guitars, that hold this album back from an all around perspective. Vive le metal Québécois!