Necronomicon Ex Mortis has cast its new spell!
Called Zombie Blood Nightmare, it is the fifth EP from the band, which now consists of Yusuf A. Rashid (bass), Joey Ferretti (drums, Bloodfeast Ritual, Replacire, live for Black Crown Initiate), Manuel Barbara? (guitar), Michael Bala (guitar, Bloodfeast Ritual), and John Sawicki (vocals, Viminal).
We kick things off with Left To Die, a track with obvious and very effective Old School influences that quickly had me banging my head, with the arrival of the vocals amplifying the phenomenon as the musicians let loose on their instruments. The jerky rhythm naturally changes tempo while leaving plenty of room for the leads, then with No More Room In Hell, the riffs accelerate noticeably and take on thrash influences to further energize their dirty sound. Once again, we find ourselves headbanging without even realizing it as the band plays at a good pace, even reinforcing the vocals before a piercing solo, then the finale leads us to the brutal Chopped Up And Burned, which begins with a violent scream, followed by a rhythmic avalanche. More technical touches also appear on the guitar side, then the break nails us to the ground with its slam influences, but the rest of the track surprises with the rich influences of its polished instrumental work before returning to a simpler, more martial approach that is still just as catchy. The rhythm section works wonders to let the leads fly, just like on Lumbering, Blood Sucking Freaks, which returns to a fatter, more unhealthy touch straight out of the classics of the 80s and 90s. The same goes for Hungry for Brains, which continues to anchor the band in both purulent Death Metal with scathing, polished harmonics and gore cinema, followed by the dark Démoni, which closes the EP by sweeping us away in its hurricane of brutality, sometimes contrasted by a lighter, more polished touch from the lead guitar.
Although the project has only been around for a few years, Necronomicon Ex Mortis shows a real connection to the Old School Death Metal scene, with numerous tracks to prove it! Zombie Blood Nightmare offers the same quality and quantity, which is an excellent sign!
90/100