Album Review: Massacre - Necrolution
Reviewed by Richard Oliver
Tampa death metal legends Massacre return for album number five “Necrolution” which is their second full length since the band’s reformation in 2019. Much of the same line-up returns from previous album “Resurgence” - vocalist Kam Lee, bassist Mike Borders and guitarist Rogga Johannsen - but we have new drummer Jon Rudin making his recording debut with the band. Massacre have been a mainstay in death metal from the early days of the genre with their 1991 debut album “From Beyond” regarded as a death metal essential (it’s certainly one of my favourites) and fans of old school death metal will find plenty to enjoy on this new release.
Massacre have described “Necrolution” as “a retrospective, nostalgic album that turns back time to the late '80s and early '90s era of death metal: recapturing the essence and style of death metal that was the original formula, and recreating the aesthetic feeling of something from the original style and sound to represent to these modern times”. That is certainly true with a production and mix that captures that old school feel and the music itself is a very straightforward riff-laden old school death metal style with plenty of thrash influence and old school horror vibes which can be heard in song such as the menacing and haunting groove of ‘Ritual Of The Abyss’, the face-ripping of ‘Death May Die’ and the barrage of sick riffs that is ‘The Things That Were And Shall Be Again’ and the disgustingly catchy ‘Dead-Life: ReAnimator’.
The band are in fine form with the vocals from Kam being a particular highlight. He has a style that sounds extremely low and guttural but with fantastic clarity and pronunciation meaning you can pick out the lyrics he is growling with ease whilst riff-master Rogga Johansson (the man of a million death metal bands) rips out some absolute belters.
With sixteen songs including two interludes, there is a little bit of padding on the album and there are a handful of songs including the interludes which could have been kept to one side as bonus tracks or for an E.P. but it is a minor criticism. There are plenty of young death metal bands trying to capture that old school aesthetic and a lot of them do it very well but it comes with a greater air of authenticity when it is done by a legend such as Kam Lee who has been a part of the death metal movement from its very beginnings. As someone who personally prefers the murky and gnarly old school death metal sound, “Necrolution” is an album that ticks many boxes and I had a satisfied grin on my face throughout. Nostalgia is a powerful thing and “Necrolution” will please a lot of fans who like their death metal the old way.
