Review: Mortician

Mortician
““Domain of Death””
(Relapse Records)

Death-grindcore two-men-and-a-drum-machine metal combo Mortician present you with their “magnum opus” (thus spake the press sheet) Domain of Death.  Although they use semi-wooden, acoustic drums live, I prefer the “drums in a box”  percussion of the studio Mortician.  Strangely compressed and claustophobic, punctuated with goofy horror movie samples, this release expands on their sound established on previous albums and makes for another high-tech death rattle that sets them well apart from other bands in the same metal corner.  I suppose they aren’t genuinely interested in killing other people like some fellow death-grindcore bands overseas, so they come off as much more humorous (not light-hearted though, kids) than the really, really black stuff.  But really, this is heavy-ass, brutal shit and if you liked their track “Skin Peeler” off the Gummo soundtrack you should check out this album.  Avoid the “clean” version.  I can’t even imagine what that would be like.  Maybe *cool* if they put harsh electronic bleeps everywhere Mortician tries to insert something “explicit”.  That would really help to keep their sick ideas from corrupting the minds of the tiny children that can barely see over the record counter when trying to purchase works such as Domain of Death that they heard about at day care while drinking delicious warm chocolate milk and eating just slightly honey-flavored stale graham crackers for lunchtime.  MMMMMMmmmmmmmmmmm!  Tiny children . . .