I had been sitting on Psicorragia’s ‘Nekromanthra’ for a while, waiting for the right mood to finally get into it properly. Some records need a few undistracted listens before you can really decide what you think of them, and this is one of those. Coming from Lima, Peru and active since 1994, Psicorragia have been quietly building their own corner of the South American underground for decades, and ‘Nekromanthra’ is another solid chapter in that story.
The album opens with ‘…Y sus plagas invocaron’ and immediately establishes the band’s Death/Doom Metal foundation. The riffs are heavy and deliberate, but there is enough movement in the guitars to prevent the slower sections from becoming stagnant. ‘Abismales’ goes further into the Doom side, while ‘Lo inexorable’ brings more aggression into the picture and keeps the album moving.
‘Sombras luminosas’ is one of the stronger tracks, with a darker atmosphere and some good changes in pace, while ‘La osamenta’ gives the guitars more room to develop. The title track, ‘Nekromanthra, el meditar de los fúnebres’, brings everything together for the closing stretch, mixing the death and doom foundation with darker Black Metal touches.
What works particularly well here is that Psicorragia never sound like they are simply copying the European Death/Doom Metal template. There is a definite South American character to the riffing and atmosphere, while the band clearly understands the older Death Metal tradition. The Black Metal influence is present but doesn’t take over, and the heavier doom sections give the album its own identity.
The production is dense and suitably grim, with the guitars carrying most of the weight while the drums remain clear enough to give the songs momentum. The vocals sit comfortably in the mix, and the additional keyboard work adds atmosphere without becoming excessive.
‘Nekromanthra’ is a strong release from a band with serious history behind them. It takes its time, but there is plenty here to discover with repeated listens. If Death/Doom Metal with a South American character is your thing, Psicorragia are well worth checking out.
