NECRODEATH formed in 1984 in Genoa, Italy under the monicker, GHOSTRIDER. They wisely changed their name within a year and have been burning crosses and crushing skulls since then. On January 17, 2025, they released their 14^th album, Arimortis, via Time to Kill Records. And if you are thinking 41 years is a helluva long run for a Blackened Thrash Metal band, you’re probably right. In fact, the band has announced that Arimortis will be their final album. (Weird side note: 14 is a transposition of 41. Just saying.)

Not a band to flinch, the term ‘arimortis’ is Latin for “the altars of death” which were monuments built to honor the fallen after a war. So, yeah, a truly befitting name for a band’s last album. Sobering as hell, but befitting.

Arimortis clocks in at 38:37 with nine brutal tracks. Much like their own career, there are no acoustic interludes or fillers on the album. Just full throttle Blackened Thrash from beginning to end. Okay, a few tracks have a short classic acoustic intro—we’re talking seconds and not minutes—and the final track has a field recording of someone vomiting, but that hardly counts as an outro. Also, it’s hilarious as the track is called “Hangover.”

The album kicks off in high gear with “Storyteller of Lies,” which pretty much sets the pace for the rest of the album. I won’t catalogue every track here, but my favs include “New God” for its crazy break at the 1:40 mark and the rampage that follows; Arimortis with its fat riffs and hard-cut inflections; “No More Regrets” because of its evil riffage and also because of its message; and finally, “Hangover.” I mean what great song to have as the final track on your final album.   

Although Arimortis is the NECRODEATH’s last album, they will, of course, be touring throughout the year, so still some time to catch them live. They’ll exit the stage leaving an incredible legacy and having a strong, positive influence on the metal scene and fans across the globe. As for “Artimortis”—a perfect final power chord to mark the end of a stunning career.