Retromorphosis – Psalmus Mortis

Written by on 22-03-2025 at 09:06.

Spawn Of Possession is back… or are they? Spawn of Possession was without a doubt one of the most significant bands when it comes to technical death metal. In 2012, the quintet released the impressive Incurso and a bright future seemed to be ahead. We had to wait for a successor until the band called it a day in 2017. “Last week we decided to put SoP to rest due to several problems, mostly because we now realize we don’t have the time to either finish a beast like a new album properly or do anything else with SoP for a long time. So the band has pretty much just faded away at this point.” Over and out, carried to the grave.

During the corona pandemic, Spawn Of Possession founder and guitarist Jonas Bryssling’s urge to write songs reignited. His first ideas germinated and over time actually grew into a new entity: Retromorphosis. Four out of five band members that play on Incurso can be found here: guitarists Jonas Bryssling and Christian Münzner, singer Dennis Röndum and bassist Erlend Caspersen. KC Howard (Odious Mortem, ex-Decrepit Birth) has taken place behind the drum kit. Is Retromorphosis simply a repetition of Spawn Of Possession but under a different name? Does Psalmus Mortis turn out like Incurso part two?

The name of the new band actually gives it away: retro stands for going back to the past and metamorphosis means transformation. And while the album is absolutely anchored in the history of Spawn Of Possession and the genre in general, Psalmus Mortis is more than a simple repetition exercise. The eight songs – I also include the instrumental intro Obscure Exordium, which lasts just under two minutes – are full of sharp soloing (The Tree, Retromorphosis, Machine), raw old school death metal riffs (Vanished, Exalted Splendour), double kicks, blast beats, bastardized distortion, a touch of melody from time to time (Aunt Christie’s Will), unapproachable speed, smooth tempo changes and intriguing arrangements. Nothing new under the sun so far, right?

However, Retromorphosis is not averse to coloring the whole thing a bit differently. The riffs on the album have a more groovy resonance and make everything just a little more digestible. In addition, songs such as Never To Awake, Machine and Exalted Splendor have hints in the background in which macabre synthesizer tones ominously color the sound. This provides just a little more room for ambiance, without ever letting go of the ruthless doggedness to bog down in misty light-heartedness. But Retromorphosis seems to be aware of not just going being a technical death metal band, but above all being a death metal band. There is no emphasis on technical frivolity and all kinds of games, no technicality that dominates the sound. It is the consistent compositions that leave a lasting impression with their unrelenting rawness and fluid dynamics.

Instead of leaning on the contours of the past and coming up with a seen reprint of times gone by, Retromorphosis has opted for evolution. Can you listen to Psalmus Mortis without expectations from the past? Without giving Retromorphosis the burden of a heavy inheritance in advance? Give it a try. You will probably experience that we are dealing with a new, devastating, impressive rebirth that can easily match the quality of yesteryear. Beastly brute, monstrously beautiful!

Score:

90/100

Label:

Season Of Mist, 2025

Tracklisting:

  1. Obscure Exordium
  2. Vanished
  3. Aunt Christie’s Will
  4. Never to Awake
  5. The Tree
  6. Retromorphosis
  7. Machine
  8. Exalted Splendour

Line-up:

  • Jonas Bryssling – Guitar
  • Dennis Röndum – Vocals
  • Christian Münzner – Guitar
  • Erlend Caspersen – Bass guitar
  • KC Howard – Drums

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