Year: 2024
Label: Time To Kill Records
Total Time: 28:05
The mighty Killjoy’s NECROPHAGIA is one of the first Death Metal bands to be formed, as they created in 1983 and stopped being active in 2018, after Killjoy’s death. Their discography includes eight full-length albums and few EPs and splits. Their highlight is the historic debut album “Season of the Dead” which was released in 1987. It is important to mention that this album was released three months before “Scream Bloody Gore” of DEATH! Unfortunately, NECROPHAGIA were disbanded shortly after this album’s release, but it was enough to build a high reputation in the underground scene.
After years, we reach 1998 when a guy with the nickname “Anton Crowley” appeared and suggested Killjoy to write a new album for NECROPHAGIA. This person was PANTERA’s Phil Anselmo, who we all know and with whom as a guitarist the band would release the awesome “Holocausto de la Morte”. This album was a new beginning for the band and, until Killjoy’s death, the band continued to be active by releasing music and organizing live performances.
So, we reach the current year and literally out of nowhere was announced that a final NECROPHAGIA album will be released, which would included some songs that Killjoy was working on until his death and which were to be in the band’s next record. This release is entitled “Moribundis Grim” and for which John McEntee (INCANTATION), Titta Tani (ex-GOBLIN) and Mirai Kawashima (SIGH) were recruited. For those who are not familiar with the band, the core of NECROPHAGIA’s Death Metal sound was influenced by CELTIC FROST, lyrically they were fascinating by the old classic splatter horror movies (Cannibal Holocaust, The Beyond etc.) and Killjoy’s unique grawl vocals were band’s trademark.
Regarding the album, the truth is that I was very excited of listening to these last band’s recordings and unfortunately at the end I was very disappointed. Basically “Moribundis Grim” can’t be described as an album but as a compilation and in which chaos is dominating . The songs have no coherence between them and also a different production. The label also added two re-recordings of “Bleeding Torment” and “Mental Decay” from the album “Season of the Dead”, a Samhain cover, a shitty live recording of “The Wicked” from 2017, an instrumental and an outro. So, the record label found an unreleased song and instead of releasing it as a single they tried to make money by advertising it as the latest recordings by NECROPHAGIA. Also, I can’t understand why the invited those guest musicians, who were never really involved in the band.
As a conclusion we can easily say that “Moribundis Grim” is a rip-off release by the label with which are honouring the band and Killjoy, as it is completely pointless and mediocre. It would make more sense if they released it as some kind of tribute and not as advertising it as NECROPHAGIA’s last album. It’s not worth wasting time on this fraud release and is better to pay attention to the band’s discography as the music legacy that Killjoy left us is quite significant and important.
Rating: 4/10
Editor: Nikos Manousis
Related Link: NECROPHAGIA – Facebook Page
