Vltimas

Vltimas is a death metal supergroup consisting of three legends in their own right: the ultimate death metal voice of David Vincent (I Am Morbid, ex-Morbid Angel) joined forces with guitarist Rune ‘Blasphemer’ Eriksen (Aura Noir, ex-Ava Inferi, ex-Mayhem) and human octopus Flo Mounier (Cryptopsy). Their full-length debut ‘Something Wicked Marches in’ can stand right alongside Morbid Angel’s ‘Blessed Are the Sick’ and ‘Altars of Madness’ in terms of quality and relevance. The musicianship on this record is of course undisputed, but that is not why ‘Something Wicked’ stands out. Although this was their first outing, Vltimas sounded like a band that had been playing together for years. With so much assembled talent in one band such an accomplishment requires a level of selflessness rarely seen in a supergroup and as a result, each member has ample opportunity to shine. Their sophomore outing ‘Epic’ (2024) is more theatrical than its brutal predecessor. Although ‘Epic’ breathes more and sounds a bit more refined and accessible, it’s still extreme enough to blow your head clean off. (#GMM26)