NEKUS, founded in Marburg, Germany, is a three-piece Death Metal band with Black Metal and Doom influences. "Death Nova Upon The Barren Harvest" is their first release via Swedish label Blood Harvest Records, specialized in Black, Death, and Thrash Metal. The sound of NEKUS is best characterized by a dark, doom-laden approach to Death Metal inspired by Black Metal influences. If you listen to bands like GRAVE UPHEAVAL or Witchbones, you may know what you can expect. The EP comes with four songs and a total length of almost 28 minutes.

"Devouring Mills" starts with driving guitar riffs that are joined by hammering blast beats and frightening growls and screams. The tempo of the song varies throughout and sets the tone for the things to come. The formula is simple: dark, darker, and darkest riffs and gutturals accompanied by relentless drumming. "Putrid Harvester" follows the same pattern but is more than a continuation of the first song. Guitar riffs vary a bit more and give the song a more comprehensive sound. The song is uploaded on Youtube and the link is given below.

"Necromancer`s Death Chant" is different from the rest of the songs, it has a slow start and the guitar riffs are distinctly doomier and stompy. It does not take long to transitioning to blasts and back to doom. The vocals remain largely unchanged which gives "Necromancer`s Death Chant" an extra frightening note. NEKUS finish things off with a 10 minutes closeout. "Dagger Of The Corrupter" goes back to where things have started: flesh-ripping guitar riffs, blast beats, gutturals from the abyss, and changes in pace. There is a long and slow middle part where the vocals sound extra dark and crushing then changing back to a fast finale.

"Death Nova Upon The Barren Harvest" is a debut that does not invent the Death/Doom wheel again. The band itself describes it as Necromancy Death/Doom and that is the closest description of the sound, where the Death Metal component seem to dominate the Doom. The rhythm is relatively consistent for most parts of the release, notably exceptions are "Necromancer`s Death Chant" and the middle part of "Dagger Of The Corrupter". NEKUS abstain from a very technical and complex sound. "Death Nova Upon The Barren Harvest" is well produced and fans of that subgenre have something to look forward to.