September 2011 marks the release of at least two EPs in the vein of Swedish old school death metal through two relatively big underground labels, the first being the CD version of Cryptborn’s Into the Grasp of the Starving Dead via Dark Descent Records, and the other being Mordbrand’s Necropsychotic via Deathgasm. Unlike the former, Mordbrand actually hails from the land of this legendary sound, but it doesn’t show in the result: I’d say this loses by little to the recent Cryptborn attack.
Unlike many in this certain business, Mordbrand does not have a thick, buzzing guitar sound: this is a more regular, breathing death (and perhaps slightly black) metal tone. A good dose of solos are added on top of the crumbling riffs, backed by a lot of d-beats. Vocal delivery is in the very common style, meaning low-pitched growls, and tempo is kept at moderate levels. So now you know what the package of Necropsychotic offers, and if you’re not up for another ride in early 90s’ nostalgia, you should be reading a totally different review by now.
There’s a few spots in which the band does stand out a little, and it’s in the guitar work that every now and then features some distortionless, ominous pluckings, and the third track ”Skärseld (Return to the Unholy)” dares to flirt with melodic ideas quite unheard of in Swedish DM underground. ”The Wall of Flesh” and ”Deliverance” belong to this category as well, featuring a tad more melody than we are accustomed to hear.
In the end, I don’t however think these little variations make Necropsychotic an otherworldly record. Even if the songs tend to vary a bit more than, say, the ones on the recent Cryptborn, the atmosphere isn’t on the same level of filthiness. The production here sounds quite safe and warm (if so can be said of an underground death metal release...) that is pretty far from a reeking, putrid soundscape. A decent effort that unfortunately pales in comparison to many others in the field right now.
2.5 / 5
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