Necromancy, Damnation, Revenge

Peru’s Death Invoker has been a tempting prospect in the underground ever since I picked up their 2010 demo on cassette. Although the band’s progress has been gradual, they’ve proven their potential through a string of releases, including splits and this killer EP from 2018 titled, “Necromancy, Damnation, Revenge”.

Musically, the band plays a rather primitive and straightforward style of death metal that is raw, chaotic and full of bestial energy, reminiscent of bands like Sarcofago, Sodom and Mortuary Drape. The unpolished production complements the carnage and gives the music an infernal and ancient feel associated with the aforementioned bands. Riffs are simple yet effective and well-played, conveying a sense of evil. Meanwhile, the crude, beastly vocals reverberate in your skull like a sledgehammer. The drumming isn’t particularly technical, but fits the simplistic style, constantly switching between mid-tempo beats and fast-paced tempos throughout the EP.

“Divination Through Death Spirits” conjures up an atmosphere of necromantic darkness characterized by scratchy riffs, echoing bellows and an infernal solo at 3:07. This lengthy track sets the bar pretty high. In contrast, the faster “Witches Hammer” strikes with hellish precision, fueled by searing riffs and thrashy tempos, while “Destroy the Cross” features ghoulish vocals over a series of unholy tremolos. There’s no denying the band’s penchant for ripping guitar solos, and it’s always great to hear them executed so well in this style. Old-school metal clearly runs through their veins.

Death Invoker embodies the feral spirit of South American metal with their raw and energetic sound. The studio-recorded tracks on this EP are all great, but I also really enjoyed the live track and rehearsal recordings included as extras. The band’s name is unequivocally apt as it evokes the dark aura of death in every conceivable way.

Overall, this EP is a solid yet brief listen. However, I do feel the band could up the ante even more with all-out evil aggression, given the strong competition from hordes of killer black/death/thrash bands in the underground. A full-length release from these maniacs would certainly pique my interest. Stand-out tracks: “Divination through Death Spirits”, Destroy The Cross”