Only a truly devoted necronaut would call this a nice surprise yet after having one's eardrums blown away by the torrential bile of their self-titled debut back in 2016, it is a genuinely nice surprise to stumble across a follow-up from Californian hellraisers Black Fucking Cancer. Running with the obsidian ball dropped by Katharsis and left in suspension by Antaeus, the trio create hellish soundscapes that scrape at the eardrums and worry at the mind, and Procreate Inverse sees them stepping onwards a little from the nastier, experimental verges of the debut towards something more immediate and punishing. It's still very much a brutal aural beatdown, as opener Excursus proves after a brief ambient opening to batter away relentlessly for its near eight minute length. Yet the way that, say, Obscene Lusting Dagger veers between war metal pulverisation and grinding groove a la Brutal Truth is compelling, not letting your attention wander. And with a seriously rabid vocal performance from vocalist Thrull that throws in rhythmic retching alongside the usual howls and snarls, it's impossible not to be completely focused on the violence throughout.

And that would make it quite an overwhelming experience were it not for the sixteen-minute closing title track, which takes its foot off the gas pedal enough to make it feel refreshing. Opening with a slower, doomier march before building into something like a groovy-period Satyricon but much sharper-edged thanks to the vocals and the more strident battery. The added variety thanks to mixing speed alongside almost ambient moments goes a long way to keep things interesting, and gives the moments when the band go all-out towards the end added impetus and impact, the choral outro a spinechilling exclamation point. Black Fucking Cancer need to live up to a name like that; sure, prog-minded goobers like myself might prefer a little more experimentation. But there's no denying the impact of the heaviest moments here, and as a nasty-sounding band that make nasty-sounding music, Procreate Inverse shows them off well. A fine sequel to an underappreciated album and an easy recommendation for those that want their black metal dark and brutal.