Epic is 9 songs in 37 minutes.  “Volens Discordant” opens and is a forgettable 1 minute interlude/intro, with the meat and potatoes erupting with the title track, next.  The song begins with a terrific slow burn opening with a terrific rhythm section with Vincent doing some crooning.  This vocal style might be a deal-breaker for some, I’m not sure.  He enunciates perfectly, very clear.  His vocals are deep and it’s Vincent, but a departure from the debut, because as I stated, he does actually do some “singing” on this song.  Honestly, I was not expecting to like the crooning, which I knew beforehand was going to be on this, but for these ears, it works.  I actually am a fan of Vincent’s country outlaw singles from years ago, yes, shame, right?? Whatever.  Again this song is a different type of opening tune, especially after the interlude, but it’s a good, slow-paced rumbling number.  Personally, after that interlude, they should have gone into a vicious blasting number.

“Miserere” is up next and is faster.  A galloping number with a multitude of blasts and Vincent getting back to more of his gruff delivery that was on the debut album, but the extra enunciation and clearer style could be off-putting to some.  The chorus has even clearer vocals, but they are very catchy.  The double bass is pummeling on this song and the black metal riffing and melodies is excellent and fits perfectly with the dearth of metal leanings.

“Exercitus Irae” is a quick number with the monster blast beats and the guitar riffing is out-fucking-standing.  The song settles into a slower rumbling heaviness with more catchy vocal arrangements – these moments, throughout the album, will go over quite well in a live setting, with the fans singing along to these moments.  More crooning from Vincent, as he holds the croons out, as opposed to them being longer growls, they’re longer croons…interesting.

“Scorcher” is the shortest song on the album.  It starts with isolated atmospheric guitar feedback then builds up and right into a monstrous blast.  Vincent sounds disgustingly evil on this track, going a bit deeper before he settles into his mid-range style, which he is quite comfortable with.  The tremendous blasts and vicious velocity of this song should have been the song to open the album, in my opinion.  But I was not consulted about the song arrangements, so I’ll shut up.  And any time you have the chorus with Die, Die, Die – come on – that is classic.  Again these moments will go over excellent, in a live setting and Flo really is blasting the unholy hell out of his drum kit – poor snare drum, RIP!

“Nature’s Fangs” has a lot of melodic moments and with the atmosphere and Vincent crooning OOOOHHHHH, OHHH, a few times, I tell you, maybe you kind reader, will find these new vocal styles cringy, but for me, I am loving it.  Maybe as a death metal vocalist, I appreciate vocalists expanding their sound over the years and developing, and I see Vincent doing that, and I appreciate it a lot.  It adds an extra layer and makes Vltimas stand out among so many other bands, playing this style.  This the catchiest tune on the album.  “Spoils of War” ends the album, is the longest at close to six minutes.  It’s a slower, moodier number with a lot of atmosphere.  Good song.  The album ends with how the album began, meaning slow and brooding, with the musical arrangements.

I really like Epic a lot!!  It’s different than their debut.  The varying vocal changes courtesy of David Vincent, well, I have mentioned them many times throughout the review, but I feel they are well done.  The music is a bit more atmospheric and moodier, but there are plenty of lethal and brutal moments.  The production on this sucker is lights out.  This album is meant to be played loud and proud!  Vltimas have returned folks!!

I will start off the jump with this is one of the finest debut albums I have heard in the last decade, by far.  I’m a huge (first 4) Morbid Angel fan and Vincent has always had a great set of pipes and I love his rock-abilly/country singing as well.  Was not sure how his voice would be on this recording, however he sounds as awesome as ever.  Powerful and great enunciation.  Flo pounds the crap out of the drums and while you won’t hear any gravity blasts, ala Cryptopsy, it’s only because this style of music does not call for it.  While I was never a fan of Mayhem, Rune has been in lots of bands and I respect his guitar work.  The culmination of all these dudes has resulted in a blackened death metal album, that while more parts death, then black, is tremendous.

After a slow build-up the title track kicks into gear at the 20 second mark and while it then slows down you get Vincent doing some signature bellows as the tune then shifts into a slower part and then the blasting comes through and the guitar melodies are beautiful and mesmerizing and then Vincent growl whispers the title track.  The 3.22 part then kicks right back into that old school 90’s classic death/thrash beat with Vincent growling the title again and Flo’s double bass collapsing chest cavities worldwide-more on that later on.  “Praevalidus” is up next and really the Holy Shit moment begins immediately with monstrous blasting, and amazing guitar riffs that are so catchy, seriously after listening to this album the first time I could hum multiple songs in my head over and over.  Anyway the riffing over the blasting is outstanding and Vincent’s diction at the 2.20 section is stellar.  You’ve heard and seen the lyric video for “Total Destroy”.  The beginning is monstrous with the blast beat and vicious razor guitar tone with the blackened death tone, getting under your skin, to lift it up and show all the maggots underneath.  Excellent chorus and one of the best songs for 2019.  When I hear this song I just want to lift trees from the ground and use them as baseball bats.  I want to pick up trucks and throw them in the air and then hit them across the atmosphere with my tree sized bat.  So right after such an intense track Vltimas slows things down with the ultra-heavy “Monolith”.  A perfect name for this track.  Dense, heavy, melodic, yet still ferocious, even if it’s slower.  Then the blasting at the 1.36 mark with awesome, discernible and powerful vocals before that catchy riff comes back.  I mentioned earlier about the chest-collapsing double bass and I want to get back to that.  “Everlasting” at the 1.23 part-seriously those drums were reverberating my chest inside out and body-slammed me all over the place.  Monstrous.

Some of the overall highlights is how the band is unafraid of returning to certain riffs and staying with that riff over and over, without it ever becoming stale.  This is a testament to individuals who have been playing extreme metal for years and understanding you do not have to have a bajillion riffs in order to be brutal.  Yes there are lots of riffs spread out across Something Wicked Marches In but they are beyond catchy and well crafted.  There are moments across the album that even sounded a little Blessed are the Sick, in some of the riffing and drum patterns-a very cool homage.  Vocal patterns, choruses and the oohs and ahhhs/growl chanting on “Diabolus Est Sanguis” is killer.  The album is produced perfectly and the mix captures every sound, nuance and punches you in the face with the power.

The digipack has a multi-paneled booklet with fold out poster of the the entire full art of the album cover.  Vltimas’ debut Something Wicked Marches In has knocked me on my ass!  This is a strong contender for album of the year and each time I listen to the album I discover some new sounds I had not heard earlier.  This album crushes beyond belief.  Buy or Die!