In the annals of death metal, Necrophagist may be
the most cult of all. Here's how we come to this conclusion: Not only
does Onset of Putrefaction contain jaw-dropping, perfectly played
technical death metal with ripping solos and Deicide-like vocals, but
it's all done by one guy in Germany. It's nothing short of wonderful.
Imagine what would happen if someone of the caliber
of Trey Azagthoth played solo for 40 miniutes, and you'll start to have
an idea of what to expect. Throughout the album's eight songs, the listener
is assaulted with a barrage of super catchy, technical riffs, which are
placed around solos played with wizard-like skill. The whole was recorded
with no gain on the guitar (as attested to by Necrophagist mastermind
M. Suiçmez, who is interviewed in this issue), allowing every note and
nuance to be heard clearly. While this may not yield the heaviest sonic
result, the music is so brutal and well-executed as to not make you notice.
While some may be initially turned off by the presence
of a drum machine, this is truly an afterthought. The focus here is how
amazingly well Suiçmez can play all the instruments. Hell, even the obsessive-compulsive
way in which the drum machine is programmed into oblivion, with heaps
of different fills, is reason for wondrous admiration in itself. You just
get this image of a complete lunatic in his apartment, grinning madly,
punching away tirelessly at his drum machine, looking up periodically
to cackle before resuming his task. One hundred percent essential to every
metal fan.
