Today, Invictus Productions announces September 30th as the international release date for the long-awaited debut album of Italy’s Thulsa Doom, A Fate Worse Than Death, on CD and vinyl LP formats.
It was but 2018 when Italian power-trio Thulsa Doom made their explosive debut onto the worldwide scene with their Realms of Hatred demo, courtesy of Invictus. Short but very sweet, Realms of Hatred may’ve been released in 2018, but its heart pumped the lifeblood of turn-of-the-’90s DEATH METAL. No gore, no triggers, no Swedeath worship: rather, the sulfurous diabolism of early Morbid Angel, Sadistic Intent, Chile’s Pentagram, and even a bit of Necrovore. A total full-on assault of Metal of Death madness, Thulsa Doom made their point with vile exclamation, and then made everyone wait…until now!
At long last, Thulsa Doom deliver their debut album, A Fate Worse Than Death. “The four years that elapsed from the recording of Realms of Hatred allowed us to evolve as musicians and as a band overall,” they state. “A Fate Worse Than Death is, to us, the inevitable unfolding of those years of progress.” Picking up right where they left off, the band’s first full-length brims with the same hellfire and mystery that made the late ’80s such a classic period in the underground, and then adds cauldronous atmosphere that only heightens their extreme aggression that much more.
While a raw display of grim sound and tones remain at the core of Thulsa Doom, an overall evolution of the band’s songwriting process and a greater influence from the American style of death metal gave birth to this new manifestation of pounding extreme music. Compared to its predecessor, A Fate Worse Than Death allows for technical ramifications of all instruments to be more easily distinguished, as each song branches out to explore morbidly crafted riffs and methodically marching basslines, complemented by drums that range from crawling mid-tempos to wrathful blasts. All is bound together by dark, epic tales narrated by vocals that rise up from the chaos and lead the charge.
A Fate Worse Than Death was recorded at The Forge Music Productions with an unchanged lineup, save for Marco (from The Forge Music Production), who lent himself as session bass. Following the recording of the album, a swift lineup change saw B.G. Triumph take over bass from drums, as L. Herald (Demonomancy) joined the ranks as drummer.
Indeed, with a righteously robust production that’s powerful and era-exemplary, one could argue that A Fate Worse Than Death is stylistically the perfect middle point between Abominations of Desolation and Altars of Madness…and if you don’t know, then you really DON’T fucking KNOW! Nevertheless, Thulsa Doom are their own masters, and their songwriting here teeters on that dangerous tightrope between control and chaos – but the key word here is dangerous. Nowadays “death metal” mostly lacks that danger, but these mad Italians are here to bring it back in full force. Because to do otherwise is A Fate Worse Than Death!
In the meantime, hear the brand-new track “Cursed Domains Beyond” HERE at Invictus‘ Bandcamp. Cover and tracklisting are as follows:
Tracklisting for Thulsa Doom’s A Fate Worse Than Death
1. Where Death Dwells
2. Cursed Domains Beyond
3. Into the Vaults of Angmar
4. Tomb of the Serpent Cult
5. A Fate Worse Than Death (Instrumental)
6. Order of the Black
7. Hung, Drawn and Quartered
8. Last Portal of Xhul
9. The Dawn of the Fire Age
10. The Orgy (Outro)
MORE INFO:
www.facebook.com/ThulsaDoomDeath