NEKROÍ THEOÍ

DeadGods PROSTHETIC

Floridian slammers obliterate the death metal rulebook

Rather than playing the usual brutal death game of attempting to out-slam everyone else, Nekroí Theoí utilise progressive thinking and unsettling Deathspell Omega-esque textures, making this debut effort as eccentric as it is eyegougingly heavy. Second track The Foul Eucharist spans full-on barbarism, eerie primeval chanting and brooding soundscapes, but each song takes on all manner of effects, dissonant harmonies and uncharacteristic structures. When the ungodly breakdowns and unintelligible gurgling vocals do hit they’re even more repugnant. Add in the 10-minute-plus marathons of the title track and The Name Above All Names, and Dead Gods is a hellish achievement.

FOR FANS OF: Fallujah, Deathspell Omega, Ingested standards of its gutwrenching predecessor, it’s still an intense and often exhilarating experience. Exploring the concept of the technological selfobliteration of a man and his bid to ascend beyond mortality, new tubthumper Levi Sheehan makes his presence felt on the bowel-quaking title track, while No Solace In Ascendance shows off all of the members’ considerable musical muscles. Alex Paul’s gurgling, unfathomably low vocal performances have to be heard to be believed – especially on The Agony Of Godhood – and while the album suffers from going to the well once too often, the unrelenting Severed From Humanity is a huge moment.

FOR FANS OF: Devourment, Aborted, Dying Fetus seem. Concept Unification possesses expansiveness ( Inanimatronic) wrapped up in a sinister, resonant darkness ( Next Solution), but the post-apocalyptic sensibility is more cinematic than realistic. It’s a good listen, but its stoic Kraftwerk-esque soul and lack of warmth makes it hard to draw deeper connections with their music beyond ‘sounds like a good soundtrack, eh?’.

FOR FANS OF: Zombi, Goblin, Perturbator