‘Overland’ is the eighth full-length release from electronic duo Necro Deathmort, and their first on Profound Lore. The pairing have kept themselves busy over the last decade; as well as creating their own dynamic layers of sound, they have produced remixes for Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree), Ulver, Obsidian Kingdom, Vaee Solis, and also appeared on two tracks on Steven Wilson’s 2017 solo album ‘To The Bone’, so it’s no surprise that they piqued the interest of such a prestigious record label.

Making for an intense 40 minutes of listening, ‘Overland’ is by far one of the most densely textured records that Necro Deathmort have ever put out, with constant audial shifts. ‘Cath Hedral’ is an eruption of synth-driven beats that builds into a near manic finale, while ‘Vortex’ creates intense feelings of claustrophobia with heavy drone and oppressive dark ambience. The beats encompassed within ‘Overland’ go beyond boundaries where a term such as ‘electronica’ no longer feels complimentary – the cinematic soundscapes at play here are diverse and pool from a variety of noise and acoustic based elements to create totally fresh and unexplored territory for Necro Deathmort.

With every release Matt and AJ get better at their craft; ‘Overland’ is a carefully considered and mature release that runs like a well-oiled machine, with everything from composition to execution running tightly. There’s enough variety to keep everyone from casual listeners to season electronic music fans happy and, with every track comprising such versatility, it shouldn’t be difficult to find a favourite.

(8/10 Angela Davey)

https://www.facebook.com/necrodeathmort

https://necrodeathmort.bandcamp.com/album/overland