Album Review: Pulchra Morte – Ex Rosa Ceremonia (Transcending Records)

Pulchra Morte (‘pul.k?ra / ‘m?r.te) – comprised of Adam Clemans (Skeletonwitch, Wolvhammer), John Porada (Wolvhammer, Abigail Williams), Jarrett Pritchard (Eulogy, Brutality), Clayton Gore (Eulogy, Harkonin), and Jeffrey Breden (Leagues Below) – began in 2017 with the idea to rekindle a feeling that has become increasingly scarce in the dense landscape of extreme music today – formation of songs containing weight, atmosphere and feeling.

2019 began with the release of the critically-acclaimed debut album Divina Autem Et Aniles and 2020 brings forth the follow-up Ex Rosa Ceremonia. Out on November 6th 2020 via Transcending Records.

The time and effort Pulchra Morte have put into making their second album as grand as possible while sticking solidly to their unique formula of death and doom is very admirable. That they’ve layered it with so many elements results in them having pulled a blinder here. Something most will be in agreement upon hearing the opening musical growls and groans of The Serpent’s Choir. Although it’s a track that will be remembered for having so many unique voices who actually make up ‘the serpents choir’.

The brutality has been laid bare, it’s now up to the rest of the album to provide as much as that one opening track does.

Fire of Coil is first up to try and meet the bar set and has Pulchra Morte spreading plenty of death-infused filth about the place. It’s only the cleaner riffs that offer some light to gaze at in this murk. Knife of the Will is next and draws deeply from the well of doom while the ring of clean vocals adds some lavishness to proceedings.

In the Mourning Light is one of the simplest tracks as it sticks solidly to the death/doom formula Pulchra Morte have expressed so far and lacks a killer hook. Which is far from the case with the slow, doomy drawl that envokes a dangerous ancient quality of Prince Among Shadows. Sudden bursts of intensity can’t detract from what makes this a classy track.

Whereas the sinister edge that The Archer/The Noose conveys is made up of horror infused and slithering heaviness. The guitars and clean vocals make it almost seem comforting but this Pulchra Morte and there’s no such thing.

It’s a pretty damn fine album and the To Suffer (The Way You Do) and Locust Humanity don’t change that fact. Instead, they actually enhance it by delivering a pair that showcases different levels of brilliance. The former, a slide of beautiful death and the latter, the blunt tool used to deliver it.

Leaving everyone satisfied, the beast that is Pulchra Morte draw the curtains as the darkness rolls in from the title track.

Pulchra Morte – Ex Rosa Ceremonia Full Track Listing:

1. The Serpent’s Choir
2. Fires Of Coil
3. Knife Of The Will
4. In The Mourning Light
5. Prince Among Shadows
6. The Archer/The Noose
7. To Suffer (The Way You Do)
8. Locust Humanity
9. Ex Rosa Ceremonia

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