The frigid embrace of death, infinite and profound, permeates every chord, guttural utterance, and percussive strike on Saltas' most recent offering, "Mors Salis: Opus I." After releasing two superb demos-"Currents" and "Parasites"-on NWN! in 2018, Sweden's Saltas have spent the last year writing and recording the material for this new full-length. Saltas is comprised of just two members-guitarist N.R. of Runemagick and The Funeral Orchestra, among others, and drummer C.J., known for his work in Irkallian Oracle. The duo's music is multi-dimensional and dense, conjuring a deathlike atmosphere unmatched by the majority of their peers. Indeed, this album is more than metal; the music is ceremonial and trancelike, an arcane death ritual in which unconventional elements are utilized in the service of creating a comprehensive sonic environment that is consuming and experiential. This is not meant to suggest that the album is devoid of riffs or structure. At its core, "Mors Salis: Opus I" is a highly composed and coordinated work of death doom, but Saltas do not reflexively hew to the line of tradition, preferring instead to explore the esoteric regions beyond. - J. Campbell
