I reviewed The Coming of Genocide demo from the upcoming New Zealand based death metallers Ulcerate back in 2004. Listening to it today it still sound as great as it did then. Now it's been re-released by Italian label The Flood Records and with good reason I'd say. Besides the four songs originally on the demo the four tracks from Demo 2003 has also been included.

Musically Ulcerate is operating in the same territory as combos like Suffocation, Immolation and Deeds of Flesh. The influences are definitely there, but the band never tends to sound like just a blueprint of the aforementioned though the Immolation references are clear at times like in "Second Death". Ulcerate clearly know how to write some good songs. The band understands to vary things and keep it interesting by adding lots shifts in the music. Moreover Ulcerate also know the importance of having a solo here and there. No doubt these New Zealanders are good at what they do.

The sound is fat and powerful so you never really notice that the album is a collection of demo material. The CD version of The Coming of Genocide is a great appetizer while we wait on the debut full-length out on Neurotic Records later this year.