If someone ever asked me what vulgarity sounds like, I’d immediately point to the new release from the French demons Necrowretch—an album that delivers the most infernal torment imaginable, like having an electric chainsaw running inside your skull. After unleashing a series of menacing EPs, Necrowretch have returned with a full-length that not only surpasses them all, but utterly annihilates them. Putrid Death Sorcery drags you headfirst into the peak of wickedness—a 35-minute descent into poisonous flames and dungeon-level darkness across 11 death hymns. It undoubtedly ranks among the most memorable death metal albums of recent years.
Frontman Vlad—whose throat seems to have been forged somewhere between demonic possession and absolute madness—could easily be listed as a definition under the word “hellspawn.” As countless nosdm (new old-school death metal) releases flood the scene, Necrowretch stand clearly above the majority, belonging to that rare top tier of bands. While I'm not exactly a fan of Century Media, the label’s high-standard, polished production has elevated this album to its full potential—and surprisingly, it suits Necrowretch brilliantly. It’s not just the production and recording—the artwork alone screams domination, reminiscent in some ways of classic King Diamond aesthetics.
You can keep sipping watery beers at your local trendy bars, chasing melancholic soundscapes in front of giant LCDs under the guise of "death metal." Meanwhile, Necrowretch are out here giving actual lessons in the genre. This album is, in every way, a black/death metal assault. Even if you only heard the vocals, it would be enough to place it firmly in that hellish realm—but it's not just the vocals. The riffs themselves are a divine fusion of black and death metal, executed in a way that only a few can manage. The only other band I can imagine pulling off something this uniquely venomous is Verminous.
Vlad’s flame-spewing, agony-drenched vocals, the banshee wails that echo miles beyond the speakers, the chainsaw-carved guitar riffs that bury you alive, and the machine-gun-paced drumming—when combined, this is the sound they summon. The guitar tone is razor-sharp—like surgical steel. While blast beats ravage your eardrums like a five-headed demon, the extended guitar solos break away screaming in anguish. The title track “Putrid Death Sorcery” embodies all of this in its purest form. Another standout, “The Anthropomancer,” opens with a ritualistic, majestic riff and erupts into a hellstorm—but then again, it feels unfair to pick highlights from an album where every single track sets fire to the soul.
With Putrid Death Sorcery, the unholy hammer of primitive black/death metal has shattered all false idols. Witness these cursed sounds for yourself—and play them loud until the very end. Miss this, and your list of death metal masterpieces will remain forever incomplete.