Voluntary Mortification: “Mortem Cultus” EP Review

Mortem Cultus is my introduction to Voluntary Mortification, a brutal Catholic death metal five-piece from Lansing, Michigan. The band got their start with their debut release Suffer to Rise in 2022. Fast forward three years and they’re unleashing another round of brutal screams, shredding guitars and deep, thought-provoking lyrics. When I first started listening to them, they reminded me a lot of The Famine. The Famine was fast, aggressive and had a similar style to what we find in Mortem Cultus.

The theme and attitude for this EP are established right away in the intro to the first song, “Death Cult.” The eerie chanting serves as a prelude to the sudden burst of screams. Musically it is just loud and aggressive. The drums are energetic and Giulian (drummer) doesn’t seem to take any breaks. For the vocals, I can’t imagine getting that low and not losing your voice, but Conner (vocalist) does a great job of maintaining the high quality of his low screams. I like the line in the song,

“Hell Shrieks. I Suffer Yet He Restores.”

It is such a great reminder that hell and the enemy are going to do whatever they can do to keep you from fulfilling the will of the Father. As long as we are going back to the Father looking for repentance, He is willing to restore us.

“Plagues” is the next round of ferocity on this record. It begins with a chunky, distorted guitar intro and features Daniel McKay on vocals. This creates a shift in the dynamics of the song, artfully blending spoken word with the raw intensity of screaming. This is a well-placed change of pace as it temporarily forces the EP to slow down but then launches back into the brutality. The theme of this song seems to be on the end of the world, evidenced with lines like,

“Babylon, feel God’s wrath, obliterate all in His path.”

“Death Cult” is centered around living life for the sake of Christ, even when it could cost you everything. “Plagues” discusses the end of the wrath, but both songs feature some ancient Latin at the end of the songs. To me, it shows an appreciation for the ancient texts.

When you have music like this where it’s fast and aggressive, it’s fairly obvious when the tempo slows down. “Harvester” has a slow, methodical start to this song where the drums absolutely set the tone. If you like a good, death metal breakdown that makes you want to headbang, this is that song. Between the breakdowns and the variety of screams, they knew how to piece together this song and make it enjoyable.

The unusual title of the next song makes you instantly curious about its meaning. “Hemophagia” is the title of the next track and it means “the practice by certain animals of feeding on blood.” You’re thinking “How is this a Christian song?” but when you look at the lyrics, it makes sense. The song is referencing communion, but that it is more than just taking a piece of bread and a cup of juice (or wine). It’s about a cleansing, a holy cleansing. The lyrics stand out with their powerful message, urging church members to remember Christ's sacrifice and seek repentance.

“Consume thy divinity. Ingest the eternal covenant.”

I'm captivated not only by the lyrics but also by the powerful guitar solo and double bass featured at the end. The variety in the outro is a nice change in this song.

Mortum Cultus EP features four original songs and a cover. They covered “Entombment of a Machine” by Job For A Cowboy, which is a secular death metal band. It’s an interesting choice for a cover, but I thought they did the original justice. The styles are similar and if you weren’t aware that this was a cover then you would’ve thought this was a Voluntary Mortification original song.

While death metal isn’t exactly my cup of tea, I still appreciate a solid EP packed with full-throttle guitar riffs, blistering double bass and grueling deep guttural vocals. This was a short, 20 minute filled EP jam packed with deep, thought-provoking lyrics and incredible music. This is something that I could put on repeat in the gym. If you’re looking for something to headbang with, this is your EP. I give Mortum Cultus a four out of five stars.