When listening to Spiral of Obscurity by Portuguese newcomers Necro Chaos I sensed something painfully familiar, yet given a surprisingly fresh makeover. Something not groundbreakingly new, yet also not a copycat of a recent past. And in the genre of death metal Necro Chaos profess, it would have been easy to succumb to the latter trend. So that is how the EP went for me. A timeless old friend infused with renewed enthusiasm, easily recognizable yet immensely enjoyable.

Necro Chaos deliver from the get go of Casket Breaker. Their death metal is swampy, juicy and lively. It is sort of Stockholm and Sunlight Studio, with riffs constantly moving, and catchy thrash elements. Not too dry and cantankerous though. The Portuguese take this history and cherish it, treat it with love and respect, and inject it with a healthy dose of their creative musicality. Infernal Flood has a solid melodic chord progression and absolutely buoyant riffs, title track adds meandering and psychedelic angle in its slower parts, while faster portions remain absolute dynamite, and Entanglement of War becomes even a little tragic in spots. Production is quite clear and vocals, multiple and ranging from guttural grunts to LG Petrov rasps, are almost legible. Bass runs are snappy and audible ( Casket Breaker), and fleeting solos are inserted spot on correctly and help carry the records further ( Entanglement of War, title track).

Spiral of Obscurity is a perfect example of you popping something in expecting little, and then walking away nodding your head in total approval.