Artist: Necroblasphemer
Country: Italy
Label: Post Mortem Nihil Est Prod.
Formats: Cassette Tape
Year: 2026
Back in 2023 the Black/Death Metal band Necroblasphemer, hailing from the Emilio-Romagna region in Italy, debuted with a demo called ‘Smell Of Death’. Although the music itself may not have been exceptional, at least in terms of originality or execution, it did live up to the demos name: it definitely smelled like death. The duo now returns with a full-length album, also released through the Australian Post Mortem Nihil Est Prod. Label and continues the path chosen with the debut demo.
With a duration of just over 20 minutes, there will be lots of people who rather see this is an EP, but for me this is somewhat of a perfect length. Extreme Metal is usually best served in smaller portions, something that these two musicians seem to have understood very well.
I don’t know exactly how the roles are divided within this band, but it’s clear that Sofia/Jevàl is still handling the vocals. Her husky voice, which, together with the bass-heavy nature of the music, creates a fairly minimalist sound, is still very recognizable on this album. With that very prominent bass guitar and the simplicity of the drums, which are pushed slightly into the background, the music feels more than ever like a collective jam session between Beherit and Reverend Bizarre. The dynamic interplay between the almost Doom Metal-esque passages, where the bass is even more pronounced, and the ferocious outbursts adds even more fuel to the fire when it comes to the chaotic core of ‘Shadows Of Nowhere’. An extra dimension is provided by the appropriately raw production. The charm of ‘Smell Of Death’ lay in the messy nature of the songs and the equally cluttered sound. That’s still the case on ‘Shadows Of Nowhere,’ but the band has clearly made strides in presenting the songs with a slightly fuller sound.
Once again, Necroblasphemer isn’t going to drastically change anyone’s life, but just like the demo, this is a charming and, above all, highly enjoyable dose of raw Black/Death Metal that, without pretension and in all honesty, showcases the genre’s raw ugliness.
