Bay Area death metallers ULTHAR have unveiled the full stream of their new epic album called Providence, available now via 20 Buck Spin. Their second full length marks a serious step up from its predecessor, and offers one of the strongest metal albums this year. An absolute must to hear.
Much more than a successful step forward, Providence is the embodiment of a band that enters the new decade as an extreme metal force to be reckoned with. / SputnikMusic.com
The result of my splurge above is a record which is one of the largest leaps from a debut to a sophomore that I’ve heard. It’s a far cry from the comments cited in the introduction, as Ulthar here adopt a menacing, deliberate pace and song-writing approach. Cosmovore was the meth-head; skinny, sloppy and wild. Providence is the meat-head; burlier, decisive and much more likely to actually kill you.1 It isn’t just one of the best death metal records of the year, but is one of the best records of the year, full stop. / AngryMetalGuy.com
In the slightly under 40 minutes of its runtime, Providence doesn’t have a moment where there isn’t at least one member of its trio being an absolute beast at what they do, and what they do best is showing how great warped death metal and blistering black metal can sound when put one next to the other. / MetalStorm.net
From the very first moments of the scorching Providence, Ulthar establish their sonic approach as hinging on anything but the pleasantness suggested by the title. With lacerating tones reminiscent of fierce hardcore or black metal on the definitively rawer side, the band rush through frenzied guitar riff and drum attacks that feel, quite simply, suffocating in their formidable physical intensity.
The energy shines at moments like when the band leap into even faster riffing towards the conclusion of opening track and pre-release single “Churn” and helps establish the record as looking towards the road ahead, in a sense. It feels like the sonic encapsulation of an adrenaline-soaked rush through some mangled underworld like that suggested by the monstrous cover art. / NewNoiseMagazine.com
