For the longest time now, much of the metal landscape can be boiled down to “if it’s not broken, don’t try to fix it”. Many different corners of individual scenes live and die by that code while many others dare to explore the possibilities, yet it’s in the former that things can often become stale for one reason or another depending on the band in the question. Death metal, in particular, can suffer from that with many bands both old and new failing to keep the sound interesting even as several others continue to come out of the woodwork to bring back the old school of death metal in spectacular fashion. Pound for pound, though, it’s with their latest offensive that Carnal Tomb shows why even in such circumstances we cannot help but keep crawling back for more every single time.

Much like what Molder did for last year’s similarly named album, Carnal Tomb is downright surgical with their craft at every given turn. These tracks are absolutely monstrous from beginning to end with nothing but that fierce old school vibe to be had in every possible inch be it in the form of titanic riffs, ripping solos, or a pure, unfettered mastery over the sound that is a viciously compelling force by all accounts. A deadly weapon whose violence knows no bounds and is always capable of delivering torturous slices with pin-point accuracy no matter the circumstance, “Embalmed in Decay” is what modern death metal strives to be without retreading the same ground or foolishly trying to reinvent the entire process. Driven by immense riffs and an insatiable desire to coat the entirety of existence in the viscous slime of undeath, “Embalmed in Decay” is by no means a pushover of a record. Straightforward in its concepts and approach that we are all but intimately familiar with given what death metal has done over the decades, but it’s with undeniable fervor and loads of determination to bring about a horrific performance that Carnal Tomb rises from the muck of the underground to show they are not some act to be underestimated nor to be trifled with.

This is what happens when death metal is born out of real passion and is allowed to sprawl out unfettered by containment or hinderance as it greedily creeps forward to achieve its goals. Carnal Tomb may not be a name that’s on everyone’s radar, but it’s with much that they’ve accomplished within “Embalmed in Decay” that a clear and dominating presence of excellence has been made. May we not let it pass us by so that whenever Carnal Tomb prepares another offensive to wash over us, we welcome it with open arms.

LISTEN to “Embalmed in Decay” on Bandcamp here.

LIKE Carnal Tomb on Facebook here.