If one would study as the North American Death Metal evolved, one will see that what POSSESSED, DEATH, MASSACRE, MASTER and others pioneers left in the sands of time was enhanced by acts of the Second Wave of Death Metal from the 90s as OBITUARY, IMMOLATION, DEICIDE MORBID ANGEL, INCANTATION and others (even it they were old on those days), and their musical work is still a source of influences for younger acts as WITCH VOMIT, from Oregon, as depicted on their third full-length, “Funeral Sanctum”. The quartet worked on the studio (the album was recorded and mixed in November 2023 at Red Lantern Studios, and mastered at Resonance Sound Studio) with Evan Mersky on the recording and mixing, and Dan Lowndes on the mastering, with the idea to have and old fashioned - yet energetic and defined - outfit.

The result is aggressive and putrid as an Old School Death Metal release, but defined and understandable. And the sick graphics by Matt Stikker (cover art), Lucas Forte (additional artwork), and Dan Fried (layout) is really fitting on the band’s musical work. It's obvious that after all these works the readers will have the clear idea that this release is focused on Old School Death Metal from the 90s, on the North American form created by IMMOLATION (due the technical care on some parts), INCANTATION (due its slower set of tempos) and MORBID ANGEL (on some guitar tunes). But pay attention: the quartet works on a personal way, breathing new life into an old and eroded formula, presenting a brutal work for the fans, but one can feel a melodic sense guiding the band sometimes (maybe an influence of Blackened Death Metal).

After al these words, all that’s left to say is that songs as “Endless Fall” (slow rhythmic hooks tempered by insane guitar riffs and arrangements), “Blood of Abomination” (a faster song filled with Blackened Death Metal arrangements on the guitars, but with nasty guttural grunts), “Decaying Angelic Flesh” (wow, what heavy and good technical work on bass guitar and drums), “Black Wings of Desolation” (excellent slow parts contrasting with faster blast beats on the classic sense), “Endarkened Spirits” (a short moment plenty with Hardcore influences) and “Funeral Sanctum” are moments hard to resist by Old School Death Metal fans.

WITCH VOMIT did a fine work on “Funeral Sanctum”, but it seems that their best is still hidden. Let’s see what the future will bring.