• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5

Morbid Prototype is a Canadian band/solo project that took a bit of a different approach to their debut by releasing what is essentially a double album under the title of The Darkest Descent. Reviewed here is the first disc, ACT I – Spiritual Genocide. Since Spiritual Genocide ends with a song titled "Epilogue (Darkest Descent)" it seems the two discs can be taken individually or as a whole and I'm going with the former (the second disc will get its own review).

Morbid Prototype play thrashy metal that doesn't blast you with unrelenting speed and features a crisp sound so musically, this is on the death side of the black/death equation. The vocals, which feature everything from black to death to clean, rely on them descending in that order in terms of how often they are used. There is plenty of aggression and bile on offer and cuts like "Spiritual Genocide" and "Reptilian Queen" don't skimp on either. The lead work, which is quite good, has a death/thrash precision. The songwriting is of a high caliber and the sparing use of some atmospheric vocals ("Eye of the Cyclone", "Epilogue") gives Spiritual Genocide a boost over rivals in the field. As long as you aren't looking for black/death that is uber raw or blasty, Morbid Prototype should fix you right up.