UMUR "Epitaph" is the 2nd full-length studio album by German death metal act Necrophagist. The album was released through Relapse Records in August 2004. Necrophagist was formed in 1992 by lead vocalist/guitarist Muhammed Suiçmez and originally featured a full lineup. By the time of the recording of the 1999 "Onset of Putrefaction" debut full-length studio album, Necrophagist was essentially a one-man project with Muhammed Suiçmez handling all instruments and vocals. The album was recorded using a drum machine. In connection with the release of "Epitaph", Relapse Records took the opportunity to re-release "Onset of Putrefaction (1999)" with re-recorded drum parts by Hannes Grossmann. Grossmann also handles the drums on "Epitaph". In addition to Grossmann and Suiçmez the lineup on "Epitaph" includes Christian Münzner (guitars) and Stefan Fimmers (bass).

Stylistically the material on the 8 track, 32:56 minutes long album continues the brutal technical death metal style of "Onset of Putrefaction (1999)". The songwriting has improved since the debut though and "Epitaph" is quite the sophisticated death metal release, featuring occasional neo-classical leanings, surgical precision playing, and a powerful detailed sound production, which suits the material perfectly. It´s ultra brutal music featuring deep and predominantly unintelligible growling vocals, brutal riffs and both heavy and very fast blasting drumming, but it´s still quite original sounding. Especially some of the lead guitar work is relatively creative. It´s in the songwriting department that "Epitaph" separates itself greatly from the standards of the genre though. It´s one of the few brutal technical death metal albums, that you´re instantly able to recognize when it´s playing. There are other standout releases/artists on the scene, which share the same strengths, but overall too many brutal technical death metal releases/artists imitate and copy each other and tend to become one large grey mass.

With music this extreme you need hooks to hold on to and varied songwriting to keep full album releases interesting. "Epitaph" fully meets those criteria as the album is loaded with catchy riffs, lead melodies, and drum patterns. The vocals are the least intriguing feature on the album, but they get the job done without becoming a distraction. It´s simply a high quality release through and through. From the opening notes of album opener "Stabwound" until the closing notes of album closer "Symbiotic in Theory", the listener is treated to some of the most energetic, well produced, and well written brutal technical death metal around. A 4.5 star (90%) rating is fully deserved. Had the vocals been more distinct sounding, passionate, and convincing, it could well have been a full 5 star (100%) rating.

UMUR "Onset of Putrefaction" is the debut full-length studio album by German death metal act Necrophagist. The album was released through Noise Solution Records in September 1999. The original version was limited to 1000 copies but "Onset of Putrefaction" was re-released in 2004 through Willowtip Records/Relapse Records (with a different cover artwork) following the success of the band´s second full-length studio album "Epitaph (2004)". In 1999 Necrophagist was a one-man project consisting of Muhammed Suiçmez who recorded all vocals, guitars, and bass on the album (except for a few guests performances by other musicians) as well as programming the drum computer. The 2004 re-release features completely new drum samples recorded by Hannes Grossmann and a couple of bonus tracks in the form of two older demo tracks. So the original release varies quite a bit from the re-release.

The music on the album is brutal technical death metal. It´s a tried and true genre, which was already the case in 1999, but Necrophagist is one of the more original sounding acts on the scene. The musicianship is on a high level. Muhammed Suiçmez is an incredibly skilled guitarist and we´re treated to both brutal heavy riffing, very fast-paced technical riffing and many guitar leads and themes (with an occasional neo-classical touch). The addition of "real" drum samples on the 2004 re-release have lifted the quality of the music considerably. The programmed drums on the original release were acceptable, but nothing beats the sound of the real deal. And when the real deal is "recorded" by a drumming capacity like Hannes Grossmann you just know you´re in for a treat. The hi-hat and cymbals still sound a bit artificial, but it´s a minor issue. The deep and for the most part unintelligible growling vocals (OK let´s call them partially intelligible as I often catch words and phrases) are pretty standard for the genre but they get the job done. The lyrics feature your typical blood´n´gore type themes which is also apparent from songtitles like "Foul Body Autopsy", "To Breathe In A Casket", and "Advanced Corpse Tumor".

Considering the fact that this is pretty much a one-man project, the sound production is powerful and quite frankly very impressive. It suits the music well. All features combined make "Onset of Putrefaction" quite a great brutal technical death metal album. A genre of death metal that doesn´t always excel in delivering memorable music, but often focus all energy on being über brutal and incorporate more tempo changes, breaks, and technical playing than what is sometimes bearable for the uninitiated. It´s the songwriting that sets "Onset of Putrefaction" apart from many contemporary releases in the genre. The tracks might not be easy to tell apart on first listen but they are actually pretty catchy and memorable for the genre and the many well played leads and generally sophisticated riffing give the music a boost that not many releases in the genre can rival. A 4 star (80%) rating is deserved.

topofsm For those uninitiated, Necrophagist's Muhammed Suiçmez may very well be the most technically proficient guitarist in all of death metal. While death bands are well known to be some of the most technical players, busting out a solo doesn't always fit best with the brutal mood they should be conveying. That is why Necrophagist stood out so much when they were active, with refined neo-classical shredding all over the place. With both their albums they may have very well started the tech-death movement we're so familiar with today.

Epitaph improves greatly upon what Onset of Putrefaction introduced. While the first record was indeed technical, it suffered from slightly muddier production and some songwriting that was far more repetive than it needed to be. Epitaph varies the songwriting, tempoes, and moods enough to keep the listener excited. That being said, many people do tire of the endless technicality and some of the non-stop shredding, so that may be a turn off.

The songs' solos should keep the listener entertained, though. There's a solo on each track and they all tend to be highlights of the track. While there's no real iconic solo like the one on "Fermented Offal Discharge" off the previous album, this one still has some pretty cool ones, even if they do tend to sound similar. "Diminished to B", perhaps in a bit of music nerd humor features a very baroque and neo-classical influenced solo that seems to trade in a bit of over the top attitude for some melody and emotion. The one off "Symbiotic in Theory" also is a lengthy one that closes the album off nicely.

Other highlights include the opener, "Stabwound", which is fast paced and energetic and feature some cool sweeping licks in between the verse and the chorus, and some neat drums playing around during the solo. "Epitaph" starts off very simple and fast paced, which should hook the more casual listener, but based on the rest of the album you can guess where it leads to.

All in all, Epitaph is a pretty impressive show. It's one of the most important albums in the tech death scene for a good reason. It does have the tendency to leave listeners cold, but for those who love tech death they should find Epitaph a most enjoyable listen.