From the depths of Colombia’s underground Death Metal scene emerges the band EDICTUM with their bone-crushing opus “Of Sickness, Agony and Death” from 2023. This 10-track assault is a testament to the enduring power of old school Death Metal, mixed with the typical South American ferocity. From the moment the first track erupts, the beatiful piano piece ‘Intro – Intermezzo #2’ arises to honor the Colombian author Luis A. Calvo (1882 – 1945), whose piece is not used “just because”, but because it may portray the entire concept of the album as Luis A. Calvo’s life itself may perfectly symbol what this album is all about: sickness, agony and pain. Another piano piece by Luis A. Calvo, ‘Prelude (Malvaloca)’, makes part of this album. The author was diagnosed with leprosy, so this intro may prepare us to what’s going to be heard on “Of Sickness, Agony And Death”. The sound of the album is thick and meaty, harking back to the genre’s formative years. It is important to mention that this full-length is actually compiling the two previous releases of the band, the “Viam Mortis” EP from 2018 and the demo “Hallucinations Beyond Voices” from 2020 while adding two more songs, ‘Of Sickness, Agony And Death’ and ‘The Sign Of Evil Existence’ (ROTTING CHRIST cover). The album was put out on a digipak CD by the Colombian labels Infernal Grave Records and Ancient Serpent Productions. I would like to highlight songs like ‘Hallucinations Beyond Voices’ (track 3), which opens with a riff full of ferocity before exploding into a frenzy of blast beats and a solo at the beginning and ‘Of Sickness, Agony And Death’ (track 4), featuring some of the most memorable guitar work on the album and that gives the name of the album, while projecting very interesting transitions all along the song. The production on “Of Sickness, Agony And Death” strikes a perfect balance between clarity and rawness. The album’s cover art is “The Sick Child” by Norwegian painter Edvard Munch. This choice adds a layer of morbid artistry to the package, perfectly complementing the music’s themes of suffering and mortality. Clocking in at 39 minutes and 39 seconds, “Of Sickness, Agony And Death” is a relentless journey through the darker corners of the human experience. EDICTUM has crafted an album that pays homage to Death Metal’s roots while injecting it with a distinctly Colombian flavor. For fans of classic acts like ASPHYX, MORGOTH, GORGUTS and early DEATH, this album is a must-hear. EDICTUM proves that sometimes, the old ways are still the best ways. Check them out: www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61559407640125, www.facebook.com/infernalgrave.record