Album Review: Necrotum – Defleshed Exhumation (Memento Mori)

In their endless quest to push and support current underground acts that perpetuate the odour of vintage death metal, on January 22nd, 2024, Memento Mori presents Necrotum’s highly anticipated third album, Defleshed Exhumation, on CD format.

Promising a putrid and pungent style of death metal with this new album, Necrotum look to start 2024 by having their listeners vomiting their guts up. Such is the stench of death and decay that comes from Defleshed Exhumation.

It’s horror-laden, blood-thirsty, and brutalising music from the very first riff, to the very last guttural growl. Eight original tracks and one cover (and what a cover that is), for over half an hour Necrotum cause carnage. Yet, it’s carnage that appeals thanks to their musicianship that creates order out of chaos, and thanks to songwriting that isn’t just rooted in the old-school death metal sound.

There’s some forward thinking going on here and it pays off as track after track hits with the force of a granite block dropped from a skyscraper. In fact, the reaction to this album from those not used to such a degree of savagery will probably be akin to a person’s reaction to that exaggeration. Fear and panic, followed by the screams of horror and terror when it becomes clear it landed on someone’s head.

Yes, that is blood, bones, brains, and mucus covering your face right now and Necrotum are to blame.

All of this waffle might make this album sound like it’s a ‘no frills’ death metal approach, but that’s not the case. Dotted throughout the album are moments of ingenuity, flair, eccentric twist and puzzling turns. Warping the sound of grim and garish death metal, but never drifting away from the gurn-inducing harshness and head-banging heaviness. Credit where credit is due, Necrotum have imagination, even if it is channelled in such a sickening and violent way.

A damn fine record to make January a more colourful month. It just so happens that the colour is blood red.

Necrotum – Defleshed Exhumation Track Listing:

1. Warped in Entrails
2. Noxious Breeze
3. Incomprehensible Forms
4. Dissolved in the Flesh Pits
5. Mouldered Orb
6. Shattered Flow of Time
7. Psychotic Apparitions
8. Ghastly Metropolis
9. As I Behold I Despise (Demigod Cover)

Links

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