Morbid Stench - The Rotting Ways of Doom

MORBID STENCH - The Rotting Ways of Doom (PUTRID CULT - CD 2022)

Five years ago I’ve reviewed “The Stench of Doom” demo and later in 2021 I did a “Doom & Putrefaction” review. Both of them were releases from Costa Rican / El Salvador band called Morbid Stench. For the last three days I have been giving an extensive listening session to “The Rotting Ways of Doom”, their second album, and you know what? This is one of the finest doom / death metal albums you will hear in a long time, I can assure you. The debut CD was brilliant and this new record is just equally killer, maybe even better. I have almost not enough words to describe the positive feeling this album gives me, but I am really impressed with the work of this band. 

And you know what? There are obviously quite few fantastic doom / death metal bands around these days, some of them, like Hooded Menace or Temple of Void, became quite popular in the extreme metal underground, some others like God Disease, Solothus, Innumerable Forms, Mortiferum are right there behind, also getting quite a good attention. Meanwhile Morbid Stench seems a little lesser known, but I think their music may be even the best from all these bands I mentioned. Seriously, this new album is fantastic, especially if you think of the more exotic origin of Morbid Stench. You don’t think of Costa Rica, when speak of killer death metal, right? Hats off then to Morbid Stench. 

Going through “The Rotting Ways of Doom”, I have to say that it’s a complete album. Everything that have been recorded for it sounds great, there’s not even a single second of music, which would feel dull or useless, from start to finish this is a monumental, crushing death / doom perfection. First of all, the production is powerful, so energetic that every riff have a great strength and really kicks ass. These riffs are memorable, doomy and heavy, but there are also many harmonies, which gives a darker, more sorrowful aura. I like how well arranged the music is, song structures and ideas are not revolutionary for the genre, but are just very good and interesting anyway, so each of these six tracks has something special and deserves attention. My favourite songs are probably “Estuary of Relics”, “Iconoclast Reverbations” and “Ekleipsis”, I believe. Which are yours? I am now looking forward for the vinyl edition of “The Rotting Ways of Doom”, which should be released in the mid 2023. I the meantime, CD won’t leave the player that soon. 

Verdict: 90/100