Album Review: Nekhrah – Cosmic Apostasy (Self Released)

Nekhrah hail from Nicosia, Cyprus & are due to release their debut album, Cosmic Apostasy on September 29th 2017 independently.

The band name “Nekhrah” is an Anglicised version of the Greek word “Νέκρα” which means “death” or “deadness” and/or “emptiness” in Greek.

Death metal, it’s a sub-genre that has seen an increase in quality over the last few years. Distinguishing yourself from the pack is no easy task, stepping up & proving that you’re in the top tier is even harder. Nekhrah have no such problems!

The darkness that flows out of the crushingly heavy riffs of the title track is undeniably exciting & alongside some incredibly distinctive vocals it really makes you sit up & take notice. Especially when it really opens up in furious speed & aggressive hooks.

That same level of intensity continues on the sublime groove of Closed Casket Funeral, the unrelenting but melodic Foredoomed & the bludgeoning heaviness of The Face of Pain.

Cosmic Apostasy has no let up, there is melody but it mostly prefers to take a pissed off stance. Nekhrah play a constant high level of beat-laden death metal but pack the album with plenty of groove & tempo changes. So much so that no two songs sound the same but the lyrical themes of misanthropy, self-destruction and the desire of non-existence come through perfectly.

“Humanity is but a herd of ritualistic apes that congregate to ceremonialise their own insignificance”.

The best is saved for last though. The absolute stunning chugging riff of Nekhrotise is surprisingly uplifting before Let There be Nothing drags the mood back down into the deep & dark quagmire. A final double header that showcases the aggression, intensity, groove & melody that Nekhrah are all about.

Nekhrah – Cosmic Apostasy Full Track Listing:

1. Acheron
2. Cosmic Apostasy
3. Closed Casket Funeral
4. Foredoomed
5. The Face of Pain
6. Acts of Troth
7. Nekhrotise
8. Let There Be Nothing

You can pick up Nekhrah’s releases & the first single from the upcoming album over on Bandcamp. You can find out more about the band over on Facebook.