With their latest EP, Zombie Blood Nightmare, Necronomicon Ex Mortis fuses the ferocity of 90s death metal, the shredding flair of 80s guitar heroes, and the campy horror of classic B-movies into a chaotic, thrilling experience. From gory homages to Evil Dead and Dawn of the Dead to technically demanding riffs and multiple guest solos, the EP balances brutality with tongue-in-cheek humor and cinematic storytelling.

By Sandra Pinto

In this interview, the band discusses the creative process behind the six-track release, the influence of horror cinema on songwriting, collaborations with guitar legends, and how meticulous production and vivid visuals bring their horror-soaked vision to life.

Zombie Blood Nightmare blends 90s death metal, 80s shred, and B-movie horror. How did you decide on this mix for the EP?
This mix defines the whole band! It’s a combination of all my favorite things at once. This particular EP leans a bit more on the 90s riffs than the 80s influences; not for any specific reason, the formula is just being shaken up a bit.

The EP is steeped in classic horror films like The Evil Dead and Demons. How do these cinematic influences shape your songwriting?
Well, they certainly inspire an atmosphere. While watching horror movies I’m usually practicing guitar or writing a song. At this point, horror and metal seem so inseparable that it feels weird NOT to picture them together.

How did you approach the concept of zombies, gore, and horror in a way that still serves the music and not just the theme?
I’m not sure how successful I am at that, but in general sense I try to think about writing lyrics like telling a campfire story; leading with the gore and intensity is a bad idea. You need build up, suspense, intrigue, etc. It’s the same with song writing. The listener needs to be taken on a journey. Opening with your most savage riff or intense moment gives away the magic too early.

Why did you choose six tracks for this EP, and how did you structure them to maximize impact and narrative flow?
To put it bluntly, a few of these songs were written YEARS ago and I just wanted them to come out. The other songs (which comprise the second half of the EP) were written just to experiment. “Lumbering, Blood Sucking Freaks” was to experiment with subtle tempo fluxes. “Hungry For Brains” was written to see if I could make a satisfying thrash tune entirely from the symmetrical diminished scale. “Demons” was written to see if I could take my love of early brutal death metal and slap it together with obnoxious math-y ideas in music. For example, that opening riff keeps dropping an 8 th note every time it comes around.

Left To Die features a guest solo from Jeff Young of MEGADETH. What was it like working with him, and how did his solo shape the track?
Jeff was very easy to work with. We played him the track and just let him go for it. He definitely brought those classic 80s vibes to the song. Those 80s guitar heroes just had some extra mojo in their fingers.

No More Room In Hell is a riff-driven homage to Dawn of the Dead. How do you balance technical aggression with storytelling in your songs?
Well, lyrics are always written last. Once the music for a song is complete, I start writing lyrics. When retelling the basic plot of a movie, I pick out the key scenes that advance the plot (or at least caught my eye for one reason or another). I then take those scenes and arrange them (in order, hopefully) to the riffs; usually getting lucky when the climax of the story meets the climax of the song.

Chopped Up And Burned and Hungry For Brains feature multiple guest solos. How do collaborations with other guitarists influence your sound?
Well Matt Mills is an AMAZING guitar teacher that helped me reshaped my technique in my mid 20s. I genuinely feel like I owe him the world for helping me change my technique, and in many ways, the way I look at music and guitar as a whole. James Norton, the guest in Hungry For Brains, is an old college buddy. We lived together and had the best time watching movies and nerding out about guitar every day.

Démoni is your most technically demanding track, with shifts in time signatures and brutal passages. How do you write and rehearse such complex material?
I approached that song as an experiment more than anything else. I wrote a fairly standard death metal riff in 4/4, and then (almost) arbitrarily began shortening/growing things. There was a lot of trial and error in order to make something sound that both that crazy but also still grounded enough to be listenable. As for rehearsing; it’s like anything else. Grab the metronome and cancel your weekend plans.

Produced and recorded by Charlie Waymire, mixed and mastered by Ernesto Homeyer—how did the production team help bring the EP’s chaotic vision to life?
At this point, both of them are official un-official members of the band. They really understand the sound Necro is going for, and Charlie is fantastic about pulling the best performances out of the musicians in his studio.

Your cover art by Genoicide Artworks is vividly gory. How important is visual storytelling in complementing your music? 
Visual storytelling is very important for Necro. I’m deeply inspired by old comic book styles, horror movie posters, etc. The visuals set the stage. They’re the sizzle that comes with the steak.

The EP combines humor and horror with technical death-thrash. How do you maintain the balance between brutality and tongue-in-cheek fun?
Truthfully, it’s never something I think about. I just want the music to sound like “me” and all the ups/downs that come with a statement like that. My sense of humor is fairly strange, and sometimes that works itself into the songs. It’s worth noting that I love art that revels in its own insanity. Evil Dead II combines 3 Stooges style slapstick with horrifying visuals, and it’s my favorite movie of all time. That’s the sort of thing I want to put into Necronomicon Ex Mortis. Odd and fun one moment, devasting the next.

NECRONOMICON EX MORTIS formed in 2023 but has released numerous EPs and splits. How has the band’s sound evolved so quickly in such a short time?
I never put the guitar down. I play, practice, and write constantly. I’m definitely one of those people that doesn’t like too much “down” time. If I’m working, I feel normal. So, we have a lot of songs out in a short period of time, and even more on the way!

Looking forward, what do you hope listeners take away from Zombie Blood Nightmare—both in terms of musical experience and thematic impact?
I just hope they have a good time with the music and for a brief moment, it feels like Halloween night in the middle of February!