UMUR "Necrology" is an EP release by Swedish goregrind act General Surgery. The EP was released through Relapse Records in November 1991. The original vinyl version features five tracks, but the 1993 (Nuclear Blast/Relapse Records) CD version features two bonus tracks. General Surgery formed in 1988 and released three demos during 1990 but "Necrology" is their first "official" label release and ultimately also the only label release before they split-up. The members have since been part of other prolific Swedish death metal and grindcore acts such as Dismember, Afflicted, Crematory and Regurgitate (some of them simoultaniously with their involvement in General Surgery). The band reformed again in the early 00s and have been putting out a string of releases since 2003.

The music style on the 15:35 minutes long EP is Carcass influenced goregrind. General Surgery is probably one of the earliest examples of a Carcass clone (along with an artist like Xysma). The vocals are the typical imitation of early Carcass too with one high pitched snarling vocal style, one deep growling vocal style and one gurgling/burping vocal style. The song titles are of course ridiculously long and filled with strange gory imagery like "Slithering Maceration Of Ulcerous Facial Tissue" and "The Succulent Aftermath Of A Subdural Hemorrhage". So while there are nods toward old school Swedish death metal in the music too, this is first and foremost a Carcass tribute release. These are just a bunch of guys who came together to share their affection for Carcass and ended up releasing the stuff they wrote.

The production is raw, savage, and brutal, but you´re still able to hear what´s going on most of the time, so while it´s pretty lo-fi in nature, it suits the music perfectly. "Necrology" is generally a celebrated release in goregrind circles, and it is indeed an effective and for the genre also relatively varied release. General Surgery don´t really bring anything original to the table, but if you´re interested in listening to an early tribute recording the Carcass goregrind style "Necrology" is arguably a good choice. A 3 star (60%) rating is warranted.

J-Man General Surgery is often considered to be the best Carcass clone ever, and that is mostly (if not entirely) due to this cult classic EP. Necrology, which was originally released back in 1991, is a highly celebrated release that has a "legendary" status in grindcore circles. These Swedish legends later re-formed to release more material, but Necrology is still widely considered their most important and essential release. Although I personally only enjoy the release in small quantities, I've had a good time experiencing Necrology, and would recommend it to anyone who wants a short and not-so-sweet grindcore blast!

General Surgery plays a style of grindcore/goregrind/death metal in the vein of early Carcass. The vocal style is extremely varied, and ranges from death growls, high pitched screams, and a variety of other noises that would be extremely difficult to type out. The instrumental aspect of the album isn't too interesting or varied - fat guitar riffs and blast beats dominate most of the release. With the original release clocking in at just over 15 minutes, Necrology certainly doesn't fall into the trap of being too long for its own good. This EP is short, heavy as hell, and powerful throughout its duration. The raw and unpolished production also helps emphasize this point. You'll able to hear everything clearly and, although it is clearly not the most hi-fi piece of music out there, it suits General Surgery's style of music well.

The 2011 Relapse reissue of the album contains three bonus demo tracks, all of which are inferior to the versions on the original EP. This reissue may only be worth re-buying if you're a die-hard fan of General Surgery, otherwise the bonus material isn't strong enough to warrant a re-purchase. People who missed getting this the first time around, however, will probably want to check it out since this reissue is the best version of Necrology out there.

Although I may not entirely agree with all of the praise this EP seems to receive, it's still a quality grindcore release worthy of 2.5 - 3 stars. Anyone who wants to understand anything about extreme metal should hear this EP at some point or another, but from a subjective point of view I can think of plenty of better grindcore releases to recommend.