Exhumed - Necrocracy
If you’ve been around the Bay Area Metal scene for any length of time, you will know who Matt Harvey is. You will also know one or more musicians who have been in Exhumed at some point. The one constant in the band is Matt, and at this point he’s the only remaining original member. The rest of the group consists of a revolving door of musicians, at various times including Impaled bassist Ross Sewage and Murder Construct guitarist/vocalist Leon Del Muerte. Exhumed is something of a Death Metal institution here. I must’ve seen a dozen incarnations of this band over the years, dating back to the early ’90s. One of the earliest Death Metal releases I purchased, in fact, was a copy of the Excreting Innards 7-inch EP (1992). Their sound has evolved considerably over the years, going from their early days of worshipping at the altar of Carcass and playing more of a Gore/Grind style to solidly Death Metal, incorporating both strong melodic guitar-work and neck-snapping ferocity. Necrocracy, therefore, sounds like a very mature work. It’s musically cohesive and showcases a lot of technical flair that doesn’t become overcomplicated or degenerate into wankery. The band knows how to kick ass and they do just that. If there’s a flaw on this album, it’s that the production may have cleaned things up enough so that every note is clearly audible but the power and brutality that the band displays live is dialed back. I thought that the guitars, in particular, needed to be louder and more powerful. That being said, the band’s best medium is live in concert. If you get a chance to see them perform, they will snap your fucking neck and kick your ass like you owe them money. While Necrocracy does a fair job of brutalizing the listener, it’s still but a shadow of what they’re like on stage.
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