The long-drowned dual emporion that sits preserved by the devastating speed of its collapse into the ever-yawning canopic mouth of the Nile exists today as point of fascinating capture, an abrupt and total freezing of time beneath still-piling silt. Though this storied port devoured by the sea more-or-less functions as a “cool” metal band name one could just as well suggest the intent of the young folks in New Orleans, Louisiana-based death metal trio HERAKLEION suits them as as curious excavators, fellowes willing to delve the archives and grade auld gems of the past for the sake of retaining knowledge of an ancient culture from sources unbent by degraded iteration. For this second EP release they’ve now been able to factor in a host of practical experiences, a greater grasp and know-how, into their work as they begin stepping away from their late 80’s thrash inspired side for a darker, slower ride through. Or, perhaps the more important note to lead with here is that ‘Necroverse‘ leans heavier into their classic Florida death metal influences in channeling an ornate yet moshable medium for their exploration of death as prime subject matter.

Herakleion formed circa 2021 and their first instinct was to put their early ideas to tape, tracking most of the album themselves before they’d played a single show or pulled in any serious feedback just yet. Taking inspiration from entry level bands ’til landing upon underground classics that first EP (‘Curse of Eternity‘, 2022) was born from two points of suggested inspiration with the more obvious notes of ‘Testimony of the Ancients‘-era Pestilence up front and some love for early Voivod to be found in their tendency toward slightly abstracted guitar runs. In my mind that combination of sounds might sound like Jumpin’ Jesus‘ debut or the more cutting reap of Chemical Breath and in a very general sense their attempts weren’t all that far off, perhaps less intense and written without necessarily considering the possibilities a second guitarist might bring in the future. As a huge fan of death-thrash metal I appreciated their execution and saw some big potential for their sound, figuring a more progressive or technical lean would arrive over time.

This time around Herakleion have some practical experience under their belts and a better idea of what works in a live setting goes a long way toward crafting traditional death metal songs folks will mosh to in a live setting. While I wouldn’t suggest they’ve slowed down on this EP they’ve definitely leaned toward mid-paced death metal as their default corridor of interest this time around. This is most exciting as they roll into “What is, Was, and Will Forever Be” with a snarling ‘Covenant‘-era Morbid Angel-ism and retain some of the thrashing swat of their prior material. There is some early progressive death metal identity tapped into here as bassist Christian Woerner‘s playing becomes increasingly virtuosic and with a far more prominently set tone. Even before we’ve cut into “The Tomb” it is clear they’ve been inspired by ‘Independent Thought Patterns‘, or, nearby that era of Death which is translated into slower-trampling drums and simplified movements. These rhythmic notions ride the line between reverence and intentionally referential work to start but the remainder of these ~22 minutes do find other places to go with it.

Beyond the opener and slow-built trip of the closer (“Into Necroverse“) I’d say “Where Crows Dare Not Go” is the most eventful straight-up death metal piece of the lot for my own taste, building up beyond a scratchy opening riff and barreling through its grooves from that point as this mid-section of the EP features some of their more ornate runs, cyclic-set rhythms, and chunking riffs. While I wouldn’t say these folks are just another classic Florida death metal inspired band presented on very basic terms… as we hit upon “Blood of Nessus“, which does ultimately reside in that spectrum of straightforward presentation, I’d suggest there is a necessity for this level of craft receiving this level of attentiveness. They’re already showing a fine point of interest which steps well beyond imitation toward personal style and, mind you that is a quick result for a band at it for only a couple of years. On that same note if you’re looking for bands that either devolve or hyper-evolve (re: Haxprocess) those classic ideas the list of standouts only becomes fewer and further apart on the current timeline.

“Blood of Nessus” more-or-less exemplifies what is both very good about Herakleion‘s modus and also where it doesn’t link up with the way I’d read into their original intent, at least not in an exacting way. On one hand they’ve got the feeling of Florida death metal inspired works in the early 90’s fairly well marked up while also side-stepping the groove metal that came after (or in tandem with) that era. On the other hand these folks are never in a rush and rarely insist upon more than a mid-paced stretch, leaving the tone of this second EP as persistent in its tunnel vision as the first was. Fans of classic thrash metal might have to strain their ears, crane their necks toward the riffs to find any semblance of thrash here unless we’re talking something like ‘Cause for Conflict‘ or ‘Chaos A.D.‘ level grooves. To be fair closer “Into Necroverse” does work up a sweat and eventually pumps out some real fiery action in its ~fourth minute but I haven’t gotten the sense that these guys have the overall map of a full-length readied enough to put on a big show. It feels like they’ve held back on the technical side of their approach here either ’til they can present two guitarists in a live setting or for the sake of making the analog recording process more economical with easier to master songs that they can nail in a minimum of takes.

Though I’m not sure if they’re getting much more than ‘old head’ clout bothering with a full analog production recorded live I did feel like the end result sounded brilliant both on a fat set of speakers as well as in a decent pair of headphones at high volumes without introducing ugly layers of reverb or exaggerative effects to create a sense of space. The drums kinda tower over the rest of the band in the mix but the rhythm guitar sound is mean, percussive enough that it all sings together when things do get rolling. Where I’d felt there was a severe lack of classics-minded composition and attitude was felt in the absence of a dedicated lead guitar driven personae, sounding more like a band without any work put into the shred obsession of the late 80’s where over the top noise and speedy precision were key points of spectacle and sinister voice for the post-‘Hell Awaits‘ generation(s) of death metal.

Though I’d preferred the more thrash-oriented push of their previous EP I have to admit ‘Necroverse‘ sounds like a band of fellowes who know what they’re doing, presenting a serious enough and tightly performed vision of death-thrash metal in 2024. They’re a bit more confident in the direction they’ve aimed, still self-directed in any case, and while they don’t completely nail it with a skull-shocking moment out the gates I’d say this is a band to watch not only for their classics-minded approach to style but for the smart curation (incl. insane Noah Meihoff cover art) of their whole gig thus far. A high recommendation.

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