Feretro - The Mortuary Destiny of Flesh

Labels: Despise The Son Records/Nihilistic Holocaust Records

Formats: CD/Tape/Digital

Release Date: 06 Sep 2025

Tracklist:

1. Twilight of Life

2. Towards Perishment

3. The Ancient Horror

4. In Agony

5. The Hour of Death

6. Time to Die

7. Death's Cycle

8. Flesh for Worms

9. Epitaph

On Monday just gone, I posted about one half of the promo package I recently received from French label Visceral Circuitry Records (the January CD pressing of Null by Peasant God). The second half of that package contained a promo cdr of the 2025 album The Mortuary Destiny of Flesh from Chilean death metal band Feretro. The album was released last September by Visceral Circuitry's sister label Nihilistic Holocaust Records, while Chilean label Despise The Son Records released in on tape in December.

The album marked Feretro's twentieth year as a band, a time that has seen them release five demos, two EPs, a compilation and a split tape prior to (this) their debut full-length. In true old-school fashion, Feretro have no social media presence (to my knowledge) and let the independent labels they work with, spread the word.

Another new band gracing the blog thanks to somebody much more in the know than myself! It’s also great to see that people still invest time in putting together proper physical release promos. It’s a trend I’m seeing more of this year, so far. Feretro begin The Mortuary Destiny of Flesh with instrumental intro ‘Twilight of Life’,  which sounds grandiose and acts as the perfect build-up to the rest of the album. What comes next is a shock to the system as it brings raging thrash together with gutter-dwelling death metal. ‘Towards Perishment’ comes at you with changing tempos, frenetic percussion, groove-laden bass, buzzsaw riffs and bellowed vocals that nod towards death metal’s greats.

‘The Ancient Horror’ follows on and encapsulates the sound that Feretro have been honing across their twenty-year existence so far. A sound that hits you with ripping speed while also ploughing the lowest furrows of murky death metal, albeit with the odd slick guitar solo thrown in because why the hell not! So far, this album has been filled with up-tempo bangers and that continues with ‘in Agony’, to start with at least, before you’re dragged into a realm of abject misery in the mid section. It switches up again for the final-third, with riffs that take on an avant-garde form, which was evident earlier too now that I think of it.

There’s a greater doom/sludge influence going on at the beginning of ‘The Hour of Death’, as dual guitar melodies coupled with slower bass/drum progression in what is an extremely solid (almost entirely instrumental) song except for the closing few seconds of gurgling horror. ‘Time to Die’ takes you back to Feretro’s blasting and thrashing sound once again, where they fire on all cylinders to create yet more blistering extremity. 

This wouldn’t be an old-school death metal album if it didn’t contain at least one properly lengthy song. It comes in the form of ‘Death’s Cycle’ that stretches over 8+ minutes and is filled with progressive trickery, as well as stellar song-writing. It shows how maturing naturally as a band can really benefit that first album! It’s been twenty years for Feretro but it’s been absolutely worth the wait, as I’m sure those of you in the know will agree!

Penultimate banger ‘Flesh for Worms’ whips up the pace once again and thanks to more exceptional lead guitar work (alongside the rest of the band), leaves you wanting more. I’m really going to have to dig further into the Chilean scene now, as I keep seeing people mention how good it is and hearing this album cements that. Ending aptly with ‘Epitaph’, Feretro seem to dig up added rawness out of nowhere but also add warmth with brief synth tones too. It’s quite a bizarre way to close out the album but it works!

I’m truly grateful to both Nihilistic Holocaust Records and Visceral Circuitry Records for introducing me to two bands I otherwise wouldn’t have come across. Feretro are excellent and if like me, you’re an old-school death metal lover, then this album is perfect for you.

You can stream and purchase The Mortuary Destiny of Flesh digitally, as well as on CD from Nihilistic Holocaust Records below (European fans only):-

You can also buy the CD here via the label's webstore - https://nihilistic-webzine-distro.fr/Webshop/en/accueil/3490-feretro-chile-the-mortuary-destiny-of-flesh-cd.html

Sadly, I haven't been able any links to Despise The Son Records. If anybody reading this knows of any information or of a webstore, please let me know!

Feretro - https://feretro.bandcamp.com/album/promo

Nihilistic Holocaust Records - https://www.facebook.com/nihilisticzinedistro