Mordbrand are a relatively new death metal act hailing from the extremely fertile soil of Sweden, and on Necropsychotic they deliver the country's trademark sound exactly as it sounded twenty years ago. Bands like Entombed, Grave, Dismember, and Edge of Sanity obviously were major inspirations to Mordbrand, and the murky production, fat riffs, and gutteral vocals make it clear that these guys stay true to their roots. Necropsychotic may not be the most revolutionary EP you'll hear this year, and Mordbrand may rub off as a "clone band", but there's enough potential here to make me look forward to see what this band has to offer in the coming years. It will take more originality in terms of style and compositions until I'm really impressed, though.
Necropsychotic's finest asset lies in the musicianship department - these guys know how to play their instruments damn well, and the rock-solid drumming, powerful growls, and impressive fretwork keep things interesting throughout the EP's entire duration, even though the compositions are a bit uneven. Don't get me wrong; there are quite a few memorable riffs on Necropsychotic, but it lacks enough to make this EP particularly noteworthy - especially when I have no hesitation in calling Mordbrand a fairly derivative and unoriginal act.
When all is said and done, this is a decent EP with some decent songs and a dedicated old-school attitude. It's nothing that you haven't heard before, but it's a solid release nonetheless. I'd say 2.5 stars are fair here.
Track Listing:
1. Eaters of the Void
2. Graveyard Revisited
3. Skärseld (Return to the Unholy)
4. The Fall of Flesh
5. Deathbound
6. Deliverance
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