Before today, it would be hard for me to sit here and try to wonder what exactly the heaviest work from the master of Swedish death metal that is Rogga Johansson. The likes of Paganizer, Ribspreader, and Revolting all come to mind, but it wasn’t before tonight that I could choose one that could more than likely take the title of Heaviest. After an EP and a split, it’s with its first full-length album that this new effort from Necrogod takes the concept of crushing to a new level.
If a cover art from the likes of the quickly rising name that is Lewandowski doesn’t catch the eye before even a single note catches the ear, then I don’t know what will. Even if that somehow doesn’t work, it is the truly unyielding nature of Necrogod itself that will catch the ears no matter what, and it’s with all nine of the tracks that are to be found within “In Extremis” that this duo manages to rise above many other of their contemporaries to deliver us a performance that is just as tantalizing as it is utterly vicious! Dripping with talent the likes of which can only be crafted by true masters of their sound, which we have in high supply here, it is every possible moment of “In Extremis” that we find ourselves completely at the mercy of what that talent can bring forth at any given time with virtually every instance being brutal that is truly all-consuming and acidic on a level that many of us could only ever hope to create in any form. Right from the very beginning, Necrogod shows us exactly what they’re made of with this not conforming to what many of us identify as Swedish death metal, allowing “In Extremis” to take on a life of its own that is the very definition of compelling down to the very soul that permeates the entire record, and it’s in every instance that this band is able to flex such a feat that we’re shown just exactly what can happen when two masters take even a slightly different course. The result is an unapologetically scorching effort that wouldn’t let up even for the ending of the world as Necrogod’s one purpose is shown and executed at every turn throughout “In Extremis”: raze all of creation.
This is craftsmanship of the kind that death metal rarely gets to see in such high excellence like what we’ve got here, yet I find myself not surprised for even a second given who we’re dealing with. Necrogod has truly dominated for the entire runtime of “In Extremis”, and it will be upon investigation of this massive effort of undeath that fans of all kinds of death metal will find themselves no less than in love.
“In Extremis” releases on July 23rd via Transcending Obscurity Records!
LISTEN to advanced tracks from “In Extremis” on Bandcamp here.
LIKE Necrogod on Facebook here.
Head-Banger Reviews 