INTRODUCING: Necronomicon Ex Mortis
You can’t go wrong with the combination of death metal and horror, it’s a blend that goes together as obviously as blood and guts. With so much influence on offer, newcomers NECRONOMICON EX MORTIS have taken the idea and ran like a madman with it. We caught up with founder Michael Bala of NECRONOMICON EX MORTIS about the bands phenomenal self-titled EP. Filled with horror influences, this death metal treat is a must for any fans of either film or music genre.
“NECRONOMICON EX MORTIS is trying to combine 80s shred and 90s riffs, while wrapping it in a B horror movie,” Michael wryly explains. “Along the way, we’re going to violently cram as many wacky ideas as we possibly can into each future release. Do you want RACER X style musicality mixed with AT THE GATES style riffs? You got it. Do you want John Carpenter synth-inspired melodies hopping between keys at 215BPM? Here we are. Do you want obnoxious references to old-school Italian horror movies, while shamelessly stealing licks from Derek Taylor? We’re the band for you.”
With a prestigious background in music, Michael’s influences into his own projects weren’t as fulfilling as he’d wanted, it meant that the creation of his own imagination would be the only thing for achieving the monstrous goals he had in mind. “Before forming NECRONOMICON EX MORTIS, I tried joining and/or forming a number of projects with varying degrees of success,” he recalls. “After a few opportunities started to go south, I decided it would just be easier and more practical to call some of my best friends from back in the Berklee days to record together. As for the merging of death metal, the 80s shred, and old-school horror; they’re simply my favourite things all wrapped in one. I love the old Shrapnel Records players because their music feels like a celebration of guitar playing, whereas the death metal riffs and horrific imagery allow me to pretend it’s Halloween every day.”
With a huge love and respect for both mediums, the band have produced some hugely entertaining and evocative music that tells stories in homage to horror, as well as conjuring their own ideas to inject fear and awe. “NECRONOMICON EX MORTIS definitely does write songs around specific horror movies and books, but we also want to create a few homegrown tales of horror to put in the songs as well; such as Earth Cancer,” Michael tells us, “which is about an angry god cursing humanity with overpopulation. We also take inspiration from horror games, like Resident Evil, Dishonored, Bloodborne, etc. The band, in many ways, is a love letter to all things horror and all things death metal.”
While there’s plenty on offer through the record, the actual pulling together of each song went easier than a needle through flesh. “Oddly enough, the writing process for the EP was very short,” he describes. “Celestial Tomb and Nocturnal were both songs I had written for a different band as audition pieces, and The Burning is a Frankenstein’s Monster of a few songs I had written that individually weren’t great but made a much larger impact when the best parts were all sewn together.”
“The only song written strictly for the EP was Earth Cancer, and that song was written as an experiment, mostly. The goal was ‘don’t overthink’, so I started by stringing drum grooves together until I had a structure I liked. After that, I started writing riffs on top; like packing meat onto a skeleton. This more ‘shoot from the hip’ approach is what makes Earth Cancer a bit different from the other songs on the EP; and personally, I like having a variety of influences and song writing techniques showcased on a single release because it provides a little bit more movement for the listener.”
The band’s first release is hugely exciting for anyone interested in the subcultures of metal and horror. But that’s only the first oozing step for NECRONOMICON EX MORTIS. “We just got back from recording our second release at the studio!” Michael confirms excitedly. “Our plan is to do at least three releases independently, and then search for a label to help us promote/distribute the eventual full length. The third release should be recorded towards the end of the summer if all goes well. We live in various places across North America, so we don’t have the opportunity to play live as often as we like. In lieu of constant live shows, we’re planning to have a steady stream of releases combined with video-based promotion.”
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