Album Review: Hamarr – Necrotic Rituals (Iron Fortress Records)

Indianapolis death metal duo Hamarr will deliver their full-length debut, ‘Necrotic Rituals,’ on February 27th via Iron Fortress Records on digital, vinyl, CD, and cassette.

Across ten tracks, Hamarr smash faces. They also smash knees, feet, hands, and just about every other part of the body that has bones in it. This is death metal at its ripest, and while little will surprise here, it’s still thoroughly enjoyable extreme noise.

I think it speaks volumes about Hamarr’s intent when they are willing to kick off their debut with something as intense as Mortuary. Not only that, but it’s also the first of three tracks that feature a guest, and Primal Horde’s Alex Cloutier goes particularly hard. The whole track has the feel of coming from some deep and dark crypt thanks to a notable echo effect on the vocals. Something prevalent throughout the entire album.

It’s a touch that adds a unique flavour to Hamarr’s sound, and only enhances the sense of wickedness that surrounds the brutality of what they are doing here. Delivering Boneless, a less restrained effort that sees Hamarr really exposing the gristle and gore of their extreme sounds. Delivering Lich, a crunchy and chaotic blast of aggressive noise, and delivering Headstone, where the guitars scream with savage force, the drums hit with bone-crushing force, and the vocals gurgle and roar with venomous intent. A track that also features Torture Realm’s Seth Bricker.

The third, and final, guest is Kurtis Hall of 1 Body 6 Graves who helps make Violator II one of the album’s most striking listens. Mainly because it is so heavy, but also because there is some groove. Around that beast we have Necro and Mausoleum. With the former being a measured blast of brutish ferocity and the latter being a couple of minutes of wild, head-banging inducing noise. Both tracks show off Hamarr’s range, while comfortably sitting in within the extreme camp to the extent that those with an innate dislike of grim sounds will want to avoid the release like it has got something contagious.

I’m a fan and found myself involuntarily banging my head as hard at the end as I was at the beginning. All thanks to meaty and harsh bangers like Embalm and Wither. Violence in audio form. Before Catacomb wraps things up in very traditional fashion. As silly as this might sound, this is the most ‘death metal’ Hamarr sound on the album. Even though it’s an album based within the genre, it’s just more traditional.

It’s a cool ending and the cherry on top of an impressive extreme effort.

Hamarr – Necrotic Rituals Track Listing:

1. Mortuary (ft. Alex Cloutier of Primal Horde)
2. Boneless
3. Lich
4. Headstone (ft. Seth Bricker of Torture Realm)
5. Necro
6. Violator II (ft. Kurtis Hall of 1 Body 6 Graves)
7. Mausoleum
8. Embalm
9. Wither
10. Catacomb

Links

Bandcamp | Iron Fortress Records