#mortician — Public Fediverse posts

The philosophical quandary of innovation vs consistency rages on. For every Opeth or Blut Aus Nord, who only know how to move forward, you get the Nile’s and Internal Bleeding’s, who believe in doing their thing again, but hopefully bigger and better than the last time.1 Formerly a two-man project turned solo-project Desecresy has toiled away in the catacombs of Finland since 2009. Spearheaded by founding member Tommi Grönqvist, sole instrumentalist who also took up vocals on The Mortal Horizon onward, this outfit has offered an unflinchingly gloomy, chug-heavy breed of doomy death metal. The Secret of Death is the gentleman’s ninth offering, and if you came here expecting radical innovation, you didn’t read the genre description correctly.

In the spirit of much great Finnish death, the name of the game is atmosphere. Much of the Desecresy blueprint sounds like the long-lost offspring of Rippikoulu, with a heavy emphasis on thunderous chugs and vocals emanating somewhere from below the Earth’s crust. While the drumming has plenty of BPM shifts, the chug-centric focus gives the illusion of The Secret of Death never quite escaping being a mid-tempo offering, which might thrill some and disappoint others. Actual moments of contrast appear for aid, peppering “By Slowing the Vortex of Time” and complimenting the expected belligerence in “Ancient Timbre of Demise.” The occasional spooky synths appear to help divide movements (“Crypthymn”, “Vanishing Existence”) and emphasize a transitional flow of ideas, though much like death itself, all roads lead to the same destination.

Not all those roads come with the same scenic route, however. There are two flourishes to elevate this particular Secret, and I’m sure you noticed at least one as soon as you hit the embed. This album sounds like it was produced by Mortician in the best possible way, with the organic drums mixed with such stone-age glee that the bass kicks boom across every forest cleaving downbeat section. Tommi’s vocals transcend “guttural” into tectonic-plate-altering vibrations reminiscent of Putrevore, but less moist and far more menacing and impenetrable. The second flourish is a real penchant for leads that straddle the line of both spooky and catchy, with a tone crystalline and bright but with melodies of doom and horror. Sprinkled across the album, they give a reprieve from the crypt excavating, grave violating assaults with horrific beauty (“Ancient Timbre of Demise”, “Gorge of the Dead”) without ruining the carefully crafted atmospheric theatrics within.

While The Secret of Death wields its toolkit well enough that one can’t quite call it homogeneous, it should be admitted that not every cut carries the same degree of ferment in the offal discharge. “Ancient Timbre…” and “Summoned With Necrolunar Telepathy” feature intros that are too similar to each other in approach, and “Summoned…” flirts with a Bolt Thrower vision but rides an empty lead far too many times to maintain its impact. Other than the closing power of “Vanishing Existence”, the leads can’t compete with the heights of memorability set by “Gorge of the Dead”. And yet, these quibbles are hardly deal breakers, as the relatively succinct 42-minute runtime allows Desecresy to avoid outstaying their welcome; an important trait, given the sheer bleakness on display. Additionally, alternating the traditional slow, doomed-out prolonged note stylings in some leads with melodic interpositions carrying more speed and virtuosity makes for excellent distinction when they appear, successfully keeping the listener’s attention.

To the surprise of what I hope is no one in particular, Desecresy have landed firmly on the “consistency” side of the deathly spectrum. A lovely hodgepodge of chunky soup with Finnish entrails and an unusual take on the Mortician broth has given The Secret of Death a good identity while lacking anything approaching the realm of surprise. A few more cuts featuring the quality of the bookending tracks could have the caliber to assemble a real worm-infested monstrosity, and I’ll certainly be keeping an eye out for them in the future. For now, we can all use more death in our lives, and if you’re on the prowl, I’ve got a Secret I’d like to share with you…

Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 5 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Xtreem Music
Website: Album Bandcamp
Releases Worldwide: May 21st, 2026

Retching – Charming the Decomposed Review

By Saunders

Part of the appeal of my long-standing relationship with death metal is the sheer diversity of the genre and its many sub-genres. There is something for all moods. So while stylistic preferences remain, most forms of death I can happily jam with, whether it be old school primitive clubbings, tech shredding, gnarled dissonance, emotive melodeath, brutal slam, or successful forays of doom, blackened and prog influences into deathly frameworks. But in the end, it’s the genre’s simplified, core values and slimy, grimy atmospheres that warm the heart. Throwing their hats in the old school death revivalist ring, relative newcomers Retching explode out the rusty graveyard gates with a no-nonsense, pretension-free blast of old school death. Seeking to add their own spin and identity to separate themselves from the horde of old school aficionados, while leaving reinvention for other folks, the Rhode Island duo unleash debut, Charming the Decomposed. Let us explore whether Retching possess the songwriting smarts and tools of destruction to make an impact outside of aping the genre’s proud past.

Thirty-two minutes is all it takes for Retching to deliver eight slashing cuts of riff-driven, blasty, gore-soaked death, American-style. Charming the Decomposed is an old school brawler with a mean streak, chock to breaking point with parasitic grooves, gut-busting riffs, brutal percussive assaults, and appropriately grisly, brutal vocal eruptions. All that said, Charming the Decomposed doesn’t take itself too seriously, loading the rabid, bloodied collection with a variety of part goofy, part unsettling samples, adding to the album atmosphere, even if they are a little overdone at times (see bludgeoning opener “Moonlight Perversions/Gorging on Ecstasy”). Otherwise, efficient, high-energy cuts are the order of the day, drawing influence from the esteemed likes of early Exhumed, Mortician, Carcass and Cannibal Corpse.

“Shower Curtain Silhouette” builds from a rugged, grinding base, ratcheting up tension before exploding into speedy, punk-infused rampages, stomping verses, and skillfully fluctuating tempo shifts. The deceptive songwriting diversity poking through the muck and feral abuse adds a layer of intrigue to otherwise more traditional, blunt force beatings, amid a couple of less impactful tunes. Another of the album’s stronger examples, “Septic Entombment,” features a creative arrangement, allowing breathing space for the meaty, yet wickedly infectious riffs and bouncing grooves to ride shotgun with aggressive, blast-riddled surges. Retching operates effectively in high-speed savagery, yet the writing tends to appeal most when mixed with slower, malevolent tempos, lending a doomy, leaden weight to proceedings, such as the tormenting melodies and ominous vibes emanating from “Fetid Abattoir.”

Energy rarely drops, as brutality and raw-boned explosions of speed and blast-riddled mayhem ensue. Retching wisely integrate structural and tempo variety, coupled with razor-fine slivers of melody and raucous, crunchy riffs to stave off monotony and lend the album an infectiously headbangable streak. Along with the aforementioned tunes, this is further highlighted on the brooding, ominous swagger of ‘Vulgar Celluloid Trophy”. The anonymous duo of Latex (drums, vox) and Mondo (guitars) forge a powerhouse combo, perfectly suited to the lean, mean, and cutthroat nature of the album’s tight construction. Latex whips together a punchy, inventive performance behind the kit, proving adept at deploying slower, groovier rhythms and finesse to go with the rip-snorting blasts and thrashy tempos. His serviceable vocals get the job done, adding a gritty, guttural edge. Meanwhile, partner in crime Mondo serves up an unhealthy dose of meaty, genuinely catchy riffs, which, if maintained consistently across the album, may have elevated a solid experience into something more substantial. Still, there is some excellent axework and riffs to sink into.

Retching’s impressively no-nonsense debut won’t challenge the upper tier of death metal albums in 2025 or threaten many year-end lists. But what it does, it does well, with a no-fuss, belligerent charm that is easy to like. While there is little fat or unnecessary bloat to be found, the songwriting has room for improvement to live up to the quality of the album’s stronger cuts and create a more consistent, compelling listen. However, signs are bright and the potential promising for Retching to build something more formidable down the track.

Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Transcending Obscurity Records
Website: Bandcamp
Releases Worldwide: August 22nd, 2025

#2025 #30 #AmericanMetal #CannibalCorpse #CharmingTheDecomposed #DeathMetal #Exhumed #Mortician #OldSchoolDeathMetal #Retching #Review #Reviews #TranscendingObscurityRecords

Am I late to the Barbie Party? It’s Spring Break over here and I’m up to my eyeballs in children and kittens. They go back to school on Monday (the kids, not the cats), so hopefully I’ll get back to posting regularly. Until then…

#HisAndHearsePress #ThisBarbieIs #Barbie #BarbieMovie #BarbieMeme #BarbieGenerator #StrangeAndUnusual #FuneralDirector #Embalmer #Mortician #Undertaker #DeathPositive

#WordyWednesday: Gravity Embalming

An old-timey method of embalming that predates electricity but can still be used in a pinch today.

A large glass jar is suspended over the body with a hose leading to a large artery. Embalming fluid flows into the body at a very slow and steady rate.

Raising the height of the jar increases the pressure (approximately 0.43 pounds of pressure per foot of height above the injection site).

#HisAndHearsePress #Embalming #MortuaryScience #MortuarySchool #Embalmer #Undertaker #Mortician #FuneralDirector #Gravity

#AmReading: The Undertaker’s Assistant by Amanda Skenandore

Ooooh, historical fiction about a woman embalmer?! Yes please!

I rather enjoyed this book, particularly because the author did her homework. She referenced both current and historical embalming texts and visited with her local coroner for insight. She also employed sensitivity readers and referenced primary source documents written by Black people (specifically women, though they’re difficult to find) living in New Orleans or the South during that era.

““The dead can’t hurt you. Only the living can.” Effie Jones, a former slave who escaped to the Union side as a child, knows the truth of her words. Taken in by an army surgeon and his wife during the War, she learned to read and write, to tolerate the sight of blood and broken bodies—and to forget what is too painful to bear. Now a young freedwoman, she has returned south to New Orleans and earns her living as an embalmer, her steady hand and skillful incisions compensating for her white employer’s shortcomings.

Tall and serious, Effie keeps her distance from the other girls in her boarding house, holding tight to the satisfaction she finds in her work. But despite her reticence, two encounters—with a charismatic state legislator named Samson Greene, and a beautiful young Creole, Adeline—introduce her to new worlds of protests and activism, of soirees and social ambition. Effie decides to seek out the past she has blocked from her memory and try to trace her kin. As her hopes are tested by betrayal, and New Orleans grapples with violence and growing racial turmoil, Effie faces loss and heartache, but also a chance to finally find her place . . .”

Learn more at www.bookshop.org/shop/hisandhearsepress

#HisAndHearsePress #JustRead #TBRPile #Books #BookRecs #BookRecommendations #HistoricalFiction #ReconstructionEra #NewOrleans #Embalmer #Undertaker #MortuaryScience #Mortician #Bookstodon #Bookwyrm #AmandaSkenandore

💀 It’s National Funeral Director & Mortician Appreciation Day!!! 🥳

Death care is strenuous, stressful, demanding, and low paying. It’s often a thankless job, as grieving families are understandably focused on other things.

Take a moment today to consider what morticians face on a daily basis. Death, unfathomable grief, gruesome bodies, tales of devastation, broken families, long unpredictable hours, and generally the worst things you can imagine. Many of us burn out or resort to unhealthy coping mechanisms. It’s a calling though, and we can’t resist the drive to help those in need.

Has a funeral director helped you navigate through a loss? Send them a note to let them know they made an impact on your life. Though we certainly appreciate tips, lunches, and mementos, we don’t expect them. Sometimes the best reward is hearing that our work mattered.

I have a box full of thank you cards that help remind me of my purpose when days are tough. 🖤

#HisAndHearsePress #NationalFuneralDirectorAndMorticianRecognitionDay #FuneralDirector #Mortician #Embalmer #Undertaker #MortuaryScience #Funeral #FuneralService #FuneralProfession #ThankYou

Today is National Barbie Day. Why don’t we have a funeral director Barbie yet?!?

Barbie has made great strides in the past decade, showing children that girls can grow into any number of career paths. Women in STEM? Yes please! We still don’t have a mortician option though. Since mortuary schools are now over 70% women, it’s high time we were represented as a valid profession to aspire to.

Want to sign a petition for Mattel to create Undertaker Barbie? Here ya go!

https://www.change.org/p/mattel-tell-mattel-to-create-a-funeral-director-barbie

#HisAndHearsePress #Barbie #Mattel #NationalBarbieDay #BarbieDay #BarbieDoll #Petition #WomenInStem #MortuaryScience #MortuarySchool #FuneralDirector #Mortician #DeathPositive #AIArt

#WordyWednesday: Shrouding Women

When you think of morticians, you might conjure images of creepy old men in black suits. But did you know that they've only been "in charge" of the dead for the last century or so? Before that, men were typically responsible for building coffins and digging graves. Body preparation fell to the women!

Women were already tasked with nursing the sick, distributing herbs, and aiding in childbirth, so bathing and dressing the dead was a natural progression. Since it was a duty that demanded care, gentleness, and propriety, men were simply unsuited to the task. Enter the shrouding women.

Many neighborhood women became skilled and knowledgeable in the art of preparing the dead. They understood the weather's effect on decomposition and how to tend to bodies suffering from various conditions. They lent their expertise to those in need, not for monetary compensation but as an act of community.

Duties included preparing a cooling board (sometimes an ironing board or barn door placed over chairs), washing and dressing the corpse, closing the eyes and mouth (coins on eyes and jaws secured shut with tied rags or forked sticks propped against the breast bone), and otherwise arranging the body into a restful pose.

Commercialization of death care after the Civil War led cabinetmakers to evolve from coffin builders to embalmers. They wrested control of bodies away from women, claiming women were weak, delicate, and unable to tolerate the sight of blood. As the men rose into the ranks of professionals, women were relegated to the sidelines of death care. They became decorations. Trade journal advertisements portrayed men doing funeral work and women as objects of beauty. The foundation was laid for men to dominate the industry for the next 100 years.

Fortunately, we've come full circle and women are entering funeral service in droves. Over 70% of graduating mortuary science classes are women. Turns out we *can* handle some blood after all.

#HisAndHearsePress #InternationalWomensDay #WomensDay #WomenInSTEM #WomenSupportingWomen #DeathCare #FuneralService #MortuaryScience #MortuarySchool #DeathPositive #FuneralDirector #Embalmer #Mortician #Undertaker

Happy International Women’s Day! Shout out to all of my sisters (not just my cis-ters) 💃🏿💃🏽💃🏼💃🏻

Today we celebrate our social, economic, and political achievements, plus bring awareness to gender parity. The World Economic Forum predicts that we won’t achieve global gender equality until 2133!

It’s not all bad news though. Woman in funeral service have been making great strides over the past 20 years. Graduating mortuary science classes are now comprised of over 70% women! The future of funeral directing is most certainly female. 💪🏻

#HisAndHearsePress #InternationalWomensDay #WomensDay #WomenSupportingWomen #TheFutureIsFemale #TransWomenAreWomen #MortuarySchool #MortuaryScience #FuneralDirector #Embalmer #Mortician

I found some cool funeral trinkets! Check out these enamel pins from Demonic Pinfestation. I’ve never seen an embalming machine pin, and look! The little casket opens! I love them ☠️🖤⚰️

See more at www.DemonicPinfestation.com

(No, I’m not getting anything out of this. Just sharing cool treasures!)

#HisAndHearsePress #EnamelPins #DemonicPinfestation #Funeral #Embalmer #Mortician #MortuarySchool #MortuaryScience #Casket #EmbalmingMachine #Goth

#FuneralFactFriday: I missed posting this yesterday because, uhhh newborn kittens, obvs. However, today is National Battery Day, which brings me to this lesson: pacemaker batteries explode it cremated!

Pacemakers must be removed from bodies prior to cremation because their batteries will explode (damaging the chamber and/or injuring the operator).

Pacemakers are easily removed by funeral staff and can be recycled, refurbished, and sanitized. Since the FDA prohibits reuse in the USA, they can either be implanted in dogs or sent to impoverished countries.

#HisAndHearsePress #Funeral #Cremation #Pacemaker #Defibrillator #NationalBatteryDay #Embalmer #Mortician #MortuaryScience

@HisAndHearsePress
After I die and the organ harvesters and medical students are done with me, what is the most efficient method of making my body harmless and not in anyone's way?
#HisAndHearsePress #FuneralFacts #DeathPositive #Mortician #Undertaker #FuneralDirector #Embalmer #MortuarySchool #MortuaryScience

It’s been a minute since I’ve been active on social media. I think I ended up in LaLaLand for a bit after the holidays and never made it back into a routine. The longer I stayed away, the harder it was to jump back in!

Help me get back on track: tell me what you’d like to learn about this year. What are your biggest funeral/death related questions?

#HisAndHearsePress #FuneralFacts #DeathPositive #Mortician #Undertaker #FuneralDirector #Embalmer #MortuarySchool #MortuaryScience #WritersCommunity #AuthorsSupportingAuthors

Welcome, newbies! Start off with a #FollowFriday and start chatting with anyone, EVERYONE! It’s really nice here. Add a list of your hashtagged interests so others can search and find common bonds. Boost interesting and helpful posts. Look at what other people boost to find the coolest stuff. Follow those people!

Here’s what I’m about, in no particular order: I’m a #FuneralDirector #Embalmer #Mortician turned #Writer and #DeathPositive #Educator. I like to share interesting facts and explanations about dead bodies and funerals, especially to help authors write accurately. It’s also important to help alleviate the fear and stigmas associated with #Death.

I’m also into #Cats #Dogs #Dinosaurs #Welding #Cars #DemolitionDerby #Books #Reading #Writing #Napping #Memes #Sarcasm and probably other stuff that I can’t remember right now.

#HisAndHearsePress #Welcome #Newbie #Newbies #TwitterMigration #Follow #Boost

Looking to follow people with startlingly unusual content? That's me!

I'm a funeral director and embalmer turned writer and educator. I love teaching others about dead bodies and funerals, but in a light and easy to understand way. I want to help mitigate fear and stigma through open discussion. Ask me anything! (Bonus: if you're a writer, I can totally help set your scenes and ensure accuracy!)

I try to share themed posts like #MondayMourning, #WordyWednesday, and #FuneralFactFriday. I also love books, memes, cats, dogs, dinosaurs, trash cats, welding, and demolition derby driving.

So I'm a bit all over the place, but guaranteed to be one of the most interesting people around!

#HisAndHearsePress #FollowFriday #FollowBackFriday #NiceToMeetYou #Funeral #FuneralDirector #Embalmer #Mortician #MortuaryScience #DeathPositive #Author #Writer #WritingCommunity #Catstodon #Dogstodon #Bookstodon #Bookwyrm

How does one go about learning the trade of undertaking? I recently wrote a guest post about it for the Museum of Teaching and Learning (MOTAL).

Go learn a little of the history of mortuary science education, plus what the modern curriculum entails. There's a lot more to it than you'd think!

Read the article here: https://motal.dm.networkforgood.com/emails/how-louise-learned-to-be-a-mortician

Pictured: my old 1964 Mercury Comet with the custom license plate that reads "undertaker." I traded in the car, but I still use the license plate.

#HisAndHearsePress #Education #Teaching #Learning #MortuaryScience #MortuarySchool #Undertaker #Mortician #FuneralDirector #Embalmer #History #VintageCar #ClassicCar #MercuryComet