NECKBREAKKER hailing from Silkeborg, Denmark were formed in 2024. The Death/Groove Metal band were active as NAKKEKNAEKKER from 2020 until the name change last year. Their debut album “Within The Viscera” was produced by Andreas Linnemann (ANGEROT; PLAGUEMACE), and mixed and mastered by Josh Middleton (SYLOSIS). It has a length of about 46 minutes, and it was released via German Metal specialists Nuclear Blast. The album starts with “Horizon Of Spikes”, which is mainly a mid-tempo track with devastating guitar riffing, supported by crunching basslines, plenty of double-bass drumming, and an aggressive traditional Death Metal sound. The vocals are growls and vary between the medium to deeper end of the guttural range. There are a few tempo and rhythm switches throughout the track, mainly changing between mid-tempo and down-tempo. “Horizon Of Spikes” was released as video, and the YouTube link is provided below. “Putrefied Body Fluid” continues with the Death Metal sound at mid-tempo. The track includes plenty of double-bass attacks and has a lot of Groove vibes throughout, where the grooves are intensified by the vocals. There are again many twists and turns in tempo and rhythm with a short frantic part at the end.

“Shackled To A Corpse” starts with an extended instrumental part, leading into a mid-tempo verse part, driven by the relentless double-bass drumming. The guitar riffing is punishing, and the melodies are spine-chilling. The vocals are less versatile compared to the first two opening tracks however, some higher pitched growls were added to the mix. The song finishes with a huge and contributing breakdown. “Nephilim” starts with a tension-building, thunderous, and blood-freezing intro transitioning into aggressive guitar riffing accompanied by crushing basslines and double-bass attacks. The rhythm during the verse part is sluggish, while the vocals use the whole guttural range for the growls. The focal point of the track is the delivery of a grim melodic framework and this works to perfection. Given the very contributing lead guitar solo near the end of the track, “Nephilim” is one of the best album songs. “Purgatory Rites” starts furious but quickly goes back to the sluggish rhythm for the verse part. The guitar riffing is a bit more playful and is accompanied by the double-bass and the strong basslines. The melodies are chilling once again, and the vocals are mainly medium growls with soe higher notes included. There are subtle tempo changes throughout the track mainly varying between a measured tempo and mid-tempo.

“Unholy Inquisition” leans more towards tempo at the beginning and it utilizes direct and aggressive guitar riffs supported by the double-bass attacks. The vocals are intensified by deep-lying background growls. The track contains an extended break, driven by the guitar riffing and the mixture of double-bass and blast beats. “Unholy Inquisition” is the longest album track with almost seven minutes playing time. “Absorption” is a very aggressive track with direct guitar riffing, plenty of double-bass, and a few blast-beats. There are many twists and turns in rhythm and in the riffs adding to the complexity of the song structure. However, all is kept very well together by the vocals and by the drumming. “SILO” continues with the aggression of the previous track, and it is mainly driven by the vocals. Adding punishing riffs, hammering drums, and crunching basslines to the mix, “SILO” is one of the album highlights. The tempo of the track is ever changing, but it contains many fast parts throughout. After most album tracks are a mixture of mid-tempo and measured tempo, “SILO” is a much-needed sound change on the album. It all finishes with “Face-splitting Madness” and the track goes back to the well-tried measured/mid-tempo sound driven by the double-bass drumming and the riffing. The riffing contains a lot of grooves, and the vocals utilize most of the guttural range. “Face-splitting Madness” is a good way to end the album.

The debut album of NECKBREAKKER is promising. The album is driven by solid Death Metal riffing, crushing basslines, relentless drumming, and a vocalist who keeps the sound very well together. The overall sound is aggressive and spine-chilling with some groovy twists. I miss a few more lead guitar solos as they are a rarity on the album. The tempo could have been also faster here and there to keep the sound fresh and dynamic. The album is well produced. “Within The Viscera” is a good start to the career of NECKBREAKKER and it will be exciting to see what the future brings for this young band.