ALBUM REVIEW: Mortal – Necrot

The death metal scene has undergone something of a creative resurgence in recent times. Whilst the old guard are still continuing to release albums that can stand on their own two feet and pack a punch, it is in fact the younger generation of bands breaking through that makes death metal such a vibrant and damn exciting scene. BLOOD INCANTATION, SKELETAL REMAINS, WITCH VOMIT, TOMB MOLD…you get the picture. Death metal is back and its arguably in its best health we’ve ever seen. Enter NECROT who look to cement their claim as a leader of the pack with sophomore offering Mortal.

Whilst 2017’s debut, Blood Offerings, offered a bombastic offering of punk meets old school death metal and placed NECROT‘s name on the extreme metal map, Mortal feels like both a logical evolution of their sound and a defiant statement of intent for what this band want to achieve. Across the seven songs on offer here, there is rarely a dull moment as the trio go for the jugular and rarely let the intensity dip for a moment. From the moment Your Hell (an appropriate opening title for the musical landscape the band are exploring here) roars into life through a vicious onslaught of riffs and guttural snarls from Luca Indrio, you are blown away.

For all of death metal’s lust for aural violence and a putrid musical onslaught, the skeleton key for any band in this scene to make a mark is to have killer riffs at your disposal and boy, do NECROT have them in abundance. Mortal is jam-packed full of so many slick riffs that instantly make a connection. From the intricate dance of the guitars following the almost death/doom solo in Stench Decay, Asleep Forever ebbs and flows from technical wizardry to pulverising passages of brutality or the insanely appealing opening to Sinister Will, there are so many riffs packed into Mortal’s snappy runtime you will just keep coming back for more.

And the more Mortal is played on repeated listens, the more you appreciate just how hard and relentless the band just keep on swinging their collective punches. Each of the song’s impact is as punishing as it is memorable. Sinister Will swings and bounces from mid-tempo chugging to high octane explosions of ferocity with some of the best guitarwork on the record and the title track, Mortal, is a shining example of just what a special band we have here. Running at a mighty eight and a half minutes, the track is expansive, monstrous and one highly epic way to close off a highly impressive record.

In a scene in of stupendous health, you could forgive NECROT for playing it safe and rehashing the same tried and true formula to instantly slot in alongside the competition. And whilst Mortal certainly doesn’t reinvent the wheel for the style, there is enough identity on show here to indicate that NECROT are realising their potential to go toe to toe with the league leaders. Mortal is a record full of character and expertly crafted death metal, just have a neck brace ready, you’ll definitely need one.

Rating: 8/10

Mortal is set for release on August 28th via Tankcrimes.

For more information on NECROT like their official page on Facebook.