Necrot: Mortal

Earlier this year, I noticed that emails from Tankcrimes ended with a request that Necrot fans send in a self-addressed postcard. They didn’t offer any other details, save for a very encouraging “do it!� after making the pitch. After seeing this suggestion repeated in other emails, I decided to grab a postcard and send it off, not knowing what to expect. A few weeks later (remember, this was all going on during the worst of the pandemic), I received a large postcard with a hole in the middle and grooves on one side. It looked like a postcard had accidentally been pressed to look like a record, only this was definitely no accident. It was a fully functional postcard / record and gave fans the chance to hear “Stench of Decay� before the album came out. The postcard also featured some killer artwork. I thought the whole thing was pretty cool.

I know that not everybody likes extreme metal and I can understand that. The music is harsh and sometimes sounds like it’s trying to hurt you more than entertain you. And yet, I think even the most hardened skeptics can occasionally hear something more than just a bunch of musicians trying to pummel them with guitars, growls, and drums. I suppose that, for some bands, pummeling the audience is the point, but I don’t think that’s the case with Necrot, at least not completely. Sure, they really want to push things as much as they can, but they are also trying to write songs that really soar above the rest.

If you go to the band’s Bandcamp page, you can listen to the collected demos on The Labyrinth or you can listen to the stellar debut album Blood Offerings. Both those releases are justly celebrated. Not only is this band an excellent death metal band, but they also just sound amazing. With Mortal, however, the band has pushed themselves in ways that make the song structures and sections stand out even more than ever before. To me, it sounds like Necrot is actively trying to outdo themselves on this album. The songwriting is exciting and interesting and generally avoids just sounding like the same thing over and over and over. If you want to hear what I mean, check out “Your Hell,� “Stench of Decay,� or “Asleep Forever� and listen to the way the band stitches various parts together to give everything power and variety. Although I loved “Your Hell� and “Stench of Decay,� I highly recommend listening to the deep cuts on this album. “Asleep Forever� and “Malevolent Intentions� are two of the band’s best songs. The riffs are huge and the band’s mix of death metal and thrash comes off perfectly.

Second albums can be tricky. Some bands have a sophomore slump whereas others just leap forward in impressive ways. This is one of those impressive leaps forward. When the band put this album together, they wanted to make a classic death metal album. They succeeded. This is essential listening for death metal fans.

Track Listing:
1. Your Hell
2. Dying Life
3. Stench of Decay
4. Asleep Forever
5. Sinister Will
6. Malevolent Intentions
7. Mortal

Added: September 4th 2020
Reviewer: Carl Sederholm
Score:
Related Link: Bandcamp Page
Hits: 688
Language: english

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