Goetia - Mortuary Cult (2026) Review

I've known Washington D.C.'s Goetia for a while now and have enjoyed their series of highly regarded EPs from 2023 to 2025, bursting into the underground scene with a sort of boosted ferocity considering a band that barely existed a few years prior. Debut full-length album Mortuary Cult takes advantage of the momentum and embraces a straightforward yet highly volatile take on death metal, influenced by the classic era of the genre's birth and the style of heavy thrash's bands from the late '80s and start of the '90s. In this concoction of fast-paced riffs, frenetic solos and pummeling drums, you'll hear everything from early Kreator to Morbid Angel, and even the thrashy tendencies of Absu at times, capturing the unique savagery of the '80s extreme metal scene. On top of that, the titles and cover art glorify the rites of the occult, bringing a record so well-oiled that it's simply difficult to not enjoy if you're and old-school metal fan. Goetia appear entirely uninterested in…