You have thirty seconds to name as many bands with necro (or nekro) in their name, starting NOW. So how many did you get to? Quite a few I suspect as we have yet another band utilising the necro prefix for their name, with this Italian one adding mutilator for their version. Usually bands with necro in their name conjure up auditory visions of evil, satan and pernicious black metal or black thrash. And nope Necromutilator are no different so no surprises I’m afraid as this act debuts with a festering pustule of malicious and spiteful blackened intent that begins with an evitable sample about worshipping satan blah blah before “Streams Of Armageddon” is shoved upon the listener in a swirling maelstrom of blast. D-beat thuggery infests a lot the songs here and that enables the songs to stand out a little amongst the swathes of delinquent devil worshipping cohorts out there. Much of the material sounds like debut Bathory, only better/worse (delete as applicable according to how degenerate your taste is) produced with a treble swamped sound pervading the album overall, which is fine as it makes the blasting drums sound far more violent and in your face. Whether this was recorded in analogue I’m not certain, but I do like the way the whole release seems to tell you to go fuck yourself through its vitriolic riffing fervour.
Into “Fuck With Darkness” and the pace remains regimented in some filth dredging old school 80s heavy metal until the blast enters to eradicate any sense of melody which the band adds to their music at very subtle moments such as the crust laden riff break in the tune and some damn fine head banging beats. The cacophonous annihilation of “Horned Rites Of Bestiality” has a resonant bass undercurrent underpinning from its start and makes it feel very punk indeed and leads into the blazing rancour of “Deathblast” which has some old thrashing elements combined with that D-beat anarchy. Slowing down a tad for “Sadistik Nekromancer” it is turgidly barren before its riff invasion gears the tune up for some very Motorhead like bass work sitting in the back steering the tune headlong into dissonant oblivion. A very noticeable change in sound manifests on “Black Punishment”, deeper in tone with more bass the tune listens like an very old Brazilian thrash metal song from the likes of Chakal, Mutilator and Sarcofago. The homage to old Frost and Hellhammer goes to “Hell’s Blackest Fire” with the song starting with a slower Frost like riff before taking a running dive into a riffing firestorm. The tune mixes it up, blending old school thrash with anarchic crust punk pounding, I really did like this song and is probably the most varied on the album. My reference to Bathory was pertinent as the album closes with a damn good rendition of “13 Candles”, retaining the eerie atmosphere but adding a little of their own take the song pays tribute to the band admirably.
(7.5/10 Martin Harris)
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