Artist: Necrogore
Country: Italy
Label: Awakening Records
Formats: CD
Year: 2026
With two EPs (or demos) and an appearance on a compilation CD under their belt, the Italian band Necrogore made their debut album with Chinese label Awakening Records. A logical step if you listen to their previous two recordings. Although I’ve previously described them as a band that won’t change your life and who play it fairly safe, that is precisely where this Death Metal band’s strength lies: a pleasant familiarity without any pretence. ‘Ectoplasmic Rape Phenomena’ is the logical next step in this journey.
There is a noticeable difference in sound between the two previous EPs, ‘Digging From Below’ (2023) and ‘Ancestral Abhorrence’ (2024), but this was mainly evident in the sound. Whilst the debut featured thick layers of the HM2 buzzsaw, the second EP had a slightly sharper tone and was a touch faster. It is perhaps no surprise that this album actually falls somewhere in between.
Over the years, there has been no shortage of bands in this genre; certainly around the 2010s, labels such as FDA Rekotz and Cyclone Empire were home to numerous bands that chose exactly this path. With a thick sound and a hefty dose of HM2-style guitars, it’s easy to put together a decent album without needing all that much talent. However, the wheat is separated from the chaff by the presence or absence of a feel for song writing. After all, a good Death Metal album isn’t defined solely by the guitar sound; a good dose of dynamics and melody are essential. Necrogore isn’t flawless in this regard, but it does show that it knows what it’s aiming for. The varied tempos and shifting guitar patterns give most of the songs enough texture to prevent them from sinking into a quagmire of mediocrity.
The band manages to keep things fresh enough with some nice ideas, such as the guest appearance by Gorement guitarist Patrik Femlund with a guitar solo, and the closing track ‘The Texas Chainsaw Massacre’, where the soundtrack from the second Texas Chainsaw Massacre film is reworked into a Swedish Death Metal version. Personally, I’m slightly less taken with the occasional background vocals, and the debut EP remains my favourite, but that doesn’t take anything away from the fact that this is a solid first full-length album for the Italians.
