Reading into the background of Germany’s Necrotted and spinning through their back catalogue to get a feel on their development it is clear the band loves the slam death scene. However the band isn’t afraid to diversify and you can hear that through their releases as they add a wealth of other stylings to ensure they are not lumped in with just the slam scene, which if truth be told is a one or two riff bombardment generally, give or take. Also it appears that ‘Imperium’ is a continuation of a concept laid down on the previous album ‘Operation: Mental Castration’ and I can tell you that musically the band likes to plunge their songs into a murky, dark and often oppressive conduit with no escape for unwitting followers.
‘Imperium’ is the bands fifth album and is released to coincide with their 15th anniversary having formed in 2008. Said concept can easily be detected when listening to the previous album and this latest effort with a tormented, twisted, tonal terrorising on all fronts, right down to very similar colour themed covers of each release, though I definitely prefer the work done on the new album by 3D designer Robin Schneider, so much so it will end up being by computer desktop and phone screen background at some point. What this album lacks in duration is more than compensated by the absolute avalanche of ideas and structuring on the songs which begin with ‘A Veiled Awakening’.
The opener proves this bands ability to situate themselves outside of the norm by beginning with an acoustic intro section, which whilst brief, gives the album a slight mystical aura before the inevitable bludgeoning that follows. Typically the vocals are a mix of death metal growls alongside deathcore barks and some occasional shrieks. What Necrotted does so effectively is blend plenty of hooks and soundbites into their song writing and whilst the tune predominantly kicks the crap out of you they are not afraid to lead you blindly down unexplored avenues. Case in point is the eerie start to ‘Reich De Gier’ with another acoustic opening that morphs into a slicing almost glacial blackened assault that works extremely well. The focus on the drum work also adds tons of weight behind the eerie guitar hooks that seem to hover over the rest of the instrumentation.
I really like the brutalising dense aura this album has, as clearly the production has taken a step forward into terms of depth and mix. ‘Sow Sorrow For Victory’ again has an atypical start to it, before the songs foundational deathly riffing is melded to slam excerpts that are delivered at pinpoint locations for maximum impact with the end result being that these tunes will kill live. The drop back into acoustics really catches you out and I’d love to see them pull this off live as it is not what these kinds of bands do generally as the song unveils a billowing effortless lead break.
Every song on ‘Imperium’ is different in its own way and whilst the core slamming death is obvious they inject so much more that always keep you alert. ‘Artificial Truth’ is truly hostile on both the vocals and guitar work but with a superb hook floating in the mix that elevates the track out of the pure slam scene or the deathcore style. ‘Ignorance Is Fear’ has been released as a single so you’ve probably heard it through social media as this song is possibly the most brutal and devastating on the release and more traditional in its styling, except for the hardcore shouts which come courtesy of a couple guests.
‘Round X: Freedom V Security’ has a curious title as it blasts in with unceremonious butchery thrusting its violence down your throat with vicious riffing and barbaric vocals. Even here though the band add something that bit extra to lift the song even further that in some respects hints a progressive slant and continues to some degree with ‘Imperator’. Its opening abrasive grating riff is excellent as the track pummels with inexorable intensity and incessant speed, tempered by the way Necrotted instil a raft of other touches.
Straight up death metal assails you with ‘Order Beyond All Bounds’ on its start, the cascading double bass packs an absolute monstrous punch before the muscly slam riffing takes over, the song is beast on all fronts yet still ingrained with a myriad of guitar hooks leaving ‘My Reign Come, My Will be Done’ to conclude this excellent release. With harsh vocals switching around in the mix with the acoustic start it has a dramatic tension that funnels it into the predicted battering. The riffing again is highly abrasive and when the song dips back to how it started you get the feeling that the band is hammering home a message. The song has blurring nihilism to it too, captured by the drum work but also the inhuman vocals and continual onslaught until the concluding half minute of acoustic work. Stunning stuff indeed!
‘Imperium’ should firmly place Necrotted on every deathcore and slam fan’s lists to check out, their ingenuity is plain to hear as I really look forward to catching the band live on their tour with Osiah at the end of this month and early October.
(8.5/10 Martin Harris)
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