Fuck yeah, it's about time. Here's a killer reissue of Necrophagist's out of print 1999 debut - remixed and tweaked with new drum programming, an all new layout, and two bonus tracks from the 1995 demo. I didn't first hear this record until around two or three years ago, and despite being told great things about it I was hesitant going in because it's rare for a one-man show to be all that impressive. Necrophagist mastermind Muhammed Suicmez handled pretty much everything on this entire CD sans a few additional bass tracks laid down by Jochen Bittmann, and let me just say that if you heard this blindly with no background information you'd never fucking guess that it wasn't a full band, and you probably wouldn't even think you were hearing programmed drums, because these fuckers sound significantly better than most triggered sets do. As for what the disc holds, it's pretty much a modern classic of technical death metal - among an elite few in its time. The riffs are nonstop and rip right through with a mix of complex modern flare and classic death metal rhythm, so expect some dissonant note combinations and sparse caustic chords, technical note based runs and thrashy picking patterns, sweep picking lead riffs, and then some. A damn good mix of stylistic influences is represented as well, from the Floridian archetypes, the more aggressive European edge, or the frantic Canadian variety. But what's truly great about it is that the songwriting is fluid and progresses very well despite its flamboyant intricacy, so it's insanely technical but still totally based around feeling and efficient structure. The vocals are of course low growls, but they're not too low, nor are they forced, so they work fine against the music. The solos are so fucking good too, "Intestinal Incubation" has one of the best death metal solos I've heard since the genre's golden age, but then you hit "Fermented Offal Discharge" and it gets even better - I'm talking Shrapnel Records type shit, here! It's also important to note that the performances here are so fucking tight it's unbelievable. It's produced with such clarity that any significant flubs would leave a huge dent, so everything is played with immaculate prowess. And I have to say, for a record laid down in 1999 by basically one dude, this material sounds stronger than the majority of what's out there today. Of course it was retouched in early-2004, but the sound is superb either way. The guitar tone is perfect, the vocals are perfect, the bass tone is great and plays a significant role most of the time (I'd like to hear it inch out a little more at times but I'll take what I can get), and the drums? Like I said, for programmed drums, I don't think it gets any better than this. I could pretty easily be convinced that this was a live drummer rather than technology at its finest. A little rigid? Sure. Some cymbals a little flimsy? On occasion. But seriously, the programming on this is absolutely amazing, the patterns and fills, the drum tones... far superior to a lot of live drummers out there, and that's a rare circumstance. The demo tracks are similar, but definitely more on the brutal side, quite reminiscent of early Deicide not only musically but as far as structure and vocal layering, etc. The sound quality is surprisingly solid on the bonus cuts as well. The new layout is a definite step up from the original press. Everything looks totally consistent with lots of collaged imagery of withered bodies and other such textures, including the lyrics and recording credits. Really the only weak spot here is the lyrical content, because the subject matter is pretty typical in use of gory anatomical terminology and all that shit. You can't really understand much of the vocals though, so I couldn't care less. The only minor musical "setback" (if you can call it that) is the overall similarity in central riffing style and tempo throughout the disc, but it's all so dizzying and compact that it makes little difference. I think I actually like this a little better than the band's newest record, to be honest. Any fan of technical death metal would be an absolute fool to overlook this. The addition of the demo tracks and the revamped look and feel give this a major edge over the original pressing, too. Awesome.
[Willowtip]
Running time - 42:06, Tracks: 10
[Notable tracks: To Breathe in a Casket, Advanced Corpse Tumor, Fermented Offal Discharge, Pseudopathological Vivisection]
Willowtip - http://www.willowtip.com
