Recently Willowtip struck a deal with Neurotic Records to rerelease domestic editions of several of their records here in North America. Some of these reissues have included recognizable releases like Psycroptic’s Symbols of Failure and Spawn of Possession’s phenomenal Noctambulant. The deal also included a few other releases that most metal fans may not be familiar with, such as Ulcerate’s Of Fracture and Failure.

Hailing from New Zealand, Ulcerate play a brand of technical death metal that has about as much fury as a wildebeest on crack, fucking a hippo with a mechanical, cybernetic hydraulic penis like there was no tomorrow. That penis, by the way, has a buzz saw that ejaculates acid. Take an extremely pissed off technical death metal version of Crowpath and their near-wall of sound technicality, sprinkle it with light spicy elements of Gorguts and Immolation’s drumming, and place in the vocal seat a disgruntled version of The Red Chord’s Guy Kozowyk who seems to have his style set permanently to death growl mode. Then season it with a very modern production that takes its cues from the Devin Townsend school of production aesthetics and you have Of Fracture and Failure.

It takes awhile to get used to, but the music more than grows on you after the first few listens. Of Fracture and Failure is an extremely intricate record that runs the gamut from jazzy, ethereal moods to chaotic cacophonies and other sonic blitzkriegs. Jamie Saint Merat’s drum performance is crushing and complex, with a varied range of techniques that keep the performance from falling into repetition. Ulcerate’s dual guitar assault possesses an extremely catchy sense of brutality that becomes more addictive than the most potent, vile tasting beer out there. They pack a fuck load of ugly into those riffs but the way they play with your head will more than keep you coming back, like a snaggle-tooth addict looking for a fix. Ben Read’s growling screams are perfectly fit for this type of carnage, sounding pissed off and about as moody as the guys from Watchmaker. I’ve never heard Read in his other band 8 Foot Sativa (which Merat also plays in), but I’ll be damned if they don’t accommodate Ulcerate aptly.

Ulcerate is another quality export from New Zealand, alongside other acts such as Dawn of Azazel. Of Fracture and Failure is a must for any death metal fan looking for an extremely heavy technical experience and is an excellent addition to both Willowtip and Neurotic’s stable of musicians.

Review byNecro-tron