Necrocosm – Damnation Doctrine (Self-Released)
Tuesday, 13th October 2015
Being on a bit of a melodic death metal kick recently, it’s great to see that there’s still plenty of young blood left in the genre. Case in point is North Carolina’s Necrocosm, who have delivered all of the good required to be successful. But beware, this some melodic death metal that has its balls still firmly attached.
Necrocosm fire off some fantastic leads and harmonies, but make no mistake, this is still some crushing stuff. More akin to the range of The Black Dahlia Murder and Mors Principium Est than say, In Flames, the riffs come hard and fast. Melodic guitar melodies like those on “Necrocosm” are happily (and impressively) par for the course, but the shouted/growled vocals and blistering drumwork keep things decidedly brutal. “Hypnagogic” is a good example of the frenetic energy that the band can convey at their most blistering pace, though only owing At the Gates a small homage with the thrashy tone (thankfully, as the world can only handle so many AtG clones). Those in need of a good, scorching solo need look no further than “Octopian Eclipse,” which stands as one for the highlight reel. The way they mix the death metal savagery and melodic bliss is worth noting, with other tracks like “Sworn Hatred” and “Disavow” effectlvely blurring the lines between catchy and brutal.
Damnation Doctrine works more than most because Necrocosm has worked to develop more of their own identity with the riffing. It doesn’t sound “Swedish” or “Finnish,” it just manages to keep an almost relentless pacing with enough melodic flourish that makes it stand out. Keep your eyes and ears on these guys moving forward.
