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SEPULCRUM
Lacerator

Chaos(2026)
Rating: 7.5/10

Returning with their sophomore slashing, Chilean brood Sepulcrum adds a surprising amount of melody into their sturdy web of aggression. Lacerator exists for a mere 37 minutes but it’s a refreshing journey even with its old school traits. After the first listen I heard dashes of Possessed, but what the band does very well is fuse thrashier segments alongside very sporadic hints of deathly doom, but more so with the axe work.

‘Ilusory Stench’ epitomises the band’s flexibility as gnashing death-thrash slows to just a melancholic solo and a clanking bass which, for me, is the star of this album. Nicolás Espinoza is such a key ingredient to the Sepulcrum sound, his style is at the forefront and his masterful twang enables the sound of the band to stand out.

‘Phrenetic Psychophony’ is as equally excellent, the wiry bass leading us into a labyrinth of jarring drum patterns from Sebastián Zúñiga and vicious axe tirades. There’s an exquisite technicality to the track, Sepulcrum axe men Oscar Gilbert (lead) and Nicolás Miranda (rhythm) providing vicious lashings, maniacal blusters and violent pulses to enable Miranda’s own vocals to slither.

The title tune is a hyper assault blessed with choppy vocal tirades and intriguing alcoves which are worth exploring beyond the foaming bloodied density. Meanwhile, ‘The Seven Gates’ features a fine chugging melody within its macabre mists, and then the dry vocal gasps lead us into a furious network of aggression. ‘Let Me Desecrate You’ is another standout moment, more so with its blackened melody.

Sepulcrum flit seamlessly between deep crimson thrashing and the more standard levels of classic death metal, but for the most part this is volatile metal that throws you across the room. ‘Entropic Decomposition’ is arguably the band’s catchiest track as again the audience experiences the jarring bass and infectious melodies before the quartet ups the pace. However, the guys certainly save the most intricate composition for last. The closing six minute ‘Multideformation’ is an absolute pleasure to hear as further rushes of brutality and snap jolt into slower, as well as more abrasive segments and solo work that shines within the dark depths.

I was looking forward to this opus after being impressed by the band’s debut album, Lamentation Of Immolated Souls, in 2023. I can safely say that Lacerator lives up to its title, but any listener worth their salt will appreciate the clever layers that Sepulcrum construct within their framework of audible horror.

Neil Arnold

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