It was 2017 when out of nowhere, Necrot took the death metal underground by storm with their debut full length, Blood Offerings. Well, it wasn’t completely “out of nowhere”. The band had spent the earlier half of the decade refining their craft with a handful of demos. They just didn’t appear on my radar until Blood Offerings, so for the sake of this review, we’re using my ignorance as a gauge.
A few years have come and gone. Necrot continued to build their reputation with high profile tour spots. Last year, they played the annual Decibel Magazine Tour alongside such legends as Cannibal Corpse, Morbid Angel, and Immolation. This year, they were supposed to open for Bloodbath, but that fell by the wayside with every other major tour come March. While COVID-19 may have put the kibosh on live music for the foreseeable future, it couldn’t stop the release of Necrot’s long awaited second full length, Mortal.
Mortal is a lot of things. One thing its not is a sophomore slump. You’d think Necrot would want to strike while the iron was hot and release this less than a year from their debut. We’ve seen other bands do the same. Unfortunately, for every band that strikes gold back to back, there’s five others who crash and burn. Necrot used this time wisely. They’ve grown and developed as musicians and songwriters as evidenced by Mortal.
The approach is still the same. Their marriage of Morbid Angel’s misanthropy and Bolt Thrower’s skull crushing riffs is what caused legions of death metal fans to latch onto them three years ago. And while tracks such as the raging “Your Hell”, the ungodly “Dying Life”, and the downright violent “Malevolent Intentions” boast riffs a plenty, it’s actually the solos that take center stage on this release. Guitarist Sonny Reinhardt delivers one ripping lead after the next, equally infernal and intricate, channeling the spirit of Chuck Schuldiner. “Stench of Decay” might be the best example of this exceptional fretwork. Necrot proves there can be melody in death metal without going full blown melo death.
Another thing I noticed is that Mortal is much more progressive than its predecessor. “Asleep Forever” and the closing title track stand out as lengthy pieces with plenty of twists and turns. They aren’t overly technical songs, but the tempo changes, devastating riffs, and mesmerizing guitar solos are enough to keep my head spinning for weeks to come. There’s even a touch of avant-garde that recalls Gorguts and, dare I say, King Crimson.
Mortal isn’t necessarily my favorite death metal release of 2020, but I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t up there. Necrot are one of the few hyped bands who truly deserve it. If a few years is what it’ll take for them to drop another album this strong, I’ll gladly wait. After all, time makes the heart grow fonder.
7 out of 10
Label: Tankcrimes
Genre: Death Metal
For fans of: Morbid Angel, Bolt Thrower, Grave