Review by Carl on April 15, 2026.

And the spike-studded blackened speed metal train keeps on rolling. Although I have to admit that most of the bands in that particular genre don't do all that much for me, I have to admit that there are notable exceptions. My fellow countrymen of Violent Sin come to mind, as does Destructo from the Netherlands, with bands such as Hexecutor, Whipstriker, Hellripper, Destructive Elite Terror (aka Det), and Hellcrash also managing to make an impression with me, but for the most part (although I'm most definitely forgetting some acts for sure), that would be it. Until very recently, that is, when I stumbled upon a savage lot of leathered-up and studded-out speed metal freaks by the name of Nekro Cvlt Desecration, henceforth shortened to NCD.

The ancient Romans already said it, and it's being exemplified yet again on this album: nihil novi sub sole, there's nothing new under the sun. Everything you'd come to expect from an album in this style is here: huge doses of rapid-fire riffing in the style of Destruction, Agent Steel, Bathory and Kreator getting spurred on by the no-frills battering percussion, speeding through spikey tracks that have just enough variation and slow parts built in to avoid the 'one long song' feeling creeping up on the listener. The abrasively hammering old school metal is steeped in a fitting blackened atmosphere, making good use of touches of acidic black metal riffing sprinkled throughout. Throw in some Sarcofago/Holocausto primitive blastbeat action here and there, and you get a jam going, alright! It's a ripping and soothingly familiar sound that pulses with energy and force for sure, but the element in NCD's sound that sprang out the most for me is the vocals. Singer Seth Nekromancer (brilliant alias, by the way) utilizes a roaring squawk, sounding equally obscure as menacing, reminding me of Gordo, singer for Brazil's hardcore/thrash legends R.D.P., more than once. And the punk influence doesn't stop there either, because in the short rager 'Cvlt To Kaos & Blasphemy', the band combines their speedy black thrashing assault with a surge of UK82-styled metalpunk in the line of The Exploited and Attak, to great effect. How's that for variation, eh?

That all of this is steeped in a fittingly rough and very natural-sounding production should go without saying. The music comes ripping through the speakers in a balanced and powerful way, devoid of any modern trickery, exuding old-school force and fury. That bass player Ereshkigal, has been given a prominent place in the overall sound mix, which only makes the total picture more gripping. 'Purification In The Witchcraft Flames' is an album that sounds just the way it should be: abrasive and forceful, dripping with old school spirit, while still coming out clear and precise. Nothing to sniff at, I say.

There isn't much I dislike about this little ditty, to be honest. Granted, I can imagine that the vocals could perhaps be something of an acquired taste for some, and that the music itself may not really bring anything new to the 80's revival table, but these are negligible things in the grand scheme here. Personally, I could've done without the amount of atmospheric interludes scattered throughout, but viewed in the whole picture, I really don't mind that much, you know. This band kicks ass, simple as that.

This album is a cool offering of rabid blackened metal, oozing copious amounts of energy and conviction, brought to you with stupid amounts of gusto. Which is just about everything I want and expect from an album like this.

Rating: 8 out of 10