Since adolescence, we've always categorized death metal by continent or style—Florida or American death metal, South American, Swedish, Dutch, or European death metal. Yet there have been bands that didn’t quite fit into these molds, almost like they came from Mars for a brief visit, left their mark, and disappeared. For me, Morta Skuld is a prime example of such a band. Despite having the technical capacity to rival countless groups, they chose not to continue under that name and instead pursued industrial projects, which became a huge disappointment for the death metal community.
Hailing from Milwaukee, Morta Skuld initially maintained a consistent classic American old-school brutal death metal sound, reminiscent of Morbid Angel, Obituary, Vital Remains, Incantation, and Gorguts. Their album for all eternity marked the peak of their career. Unfortunately, their last album, considered their "suicide," saw a downhill spiral. Peaceville’s shortcomings in distribution certainly contributed to this decline.
Tracklist:
Bitter Remembrance
Justify
Second Thought
Crawl Inside
For All Eternity
Tears of A Fallen Race
The Bleeding Heart
Burning Daylight
The Vicious Circle
Germ Farm (Dr. Shrinker cover)
The backbone of the songs, composed by the members through mysterious combinations, follows the classic American death metal templates I mentioned earlier. As a result, you’ll often find sections that feel very familiar or similar. The dark guitar tones, murky death metal riffs, and Dave Gregor’s growling, tormented vocal style perfectly embody this sound.
The band’s penchant for frequent tempo changes stands out again on this album, paired with successful guitar compositions, mostly short technical solos, and countless memorable melodic parts—clearly showcasing the band’s peak creative phase.
Tracks like “Bitter Remembrance,” “For All Eternity,” and “The Bleeding Heart” feature riffs that linger in your ears, not just passing by but immersing you in extended hallucinatory melodies. The intro riff and chorus of “The Bleeding Heart” especially might drive you crazy with their catchy hooks.
Drums are recorded well above average for a death metal album of this caliber. Kent Truckenbrod, one of death metal’s underrated but skillful drummers, shines with tight rhythms and crisp cross-sticking, adding brilliance to the otherwise murky production.
Among the 10 tracks, the cover of “Germ Farm” by Dr. Shrinker—a fellow Milwaukee band lost in the 80s death metal sea—stands out. This underground cover choice reveals the band’s love and respect for their local roots.
In short, for all eternity represents Morta Skuld’s highest level, an album that death metal fans passionate about classic American death metal will find hard to resist.