Necro Deathmort – The Capsule

To the extent that any Necro Deathmort release arrives a little pre-scripted – with a moniker such as theirs you know you’re not in for a summery pop workout – the London duo’s inky-fingered, bats-under-the-nightdress electronica feels curiously introverted on The Capsule.

Positioned somewhere between 90s industrial and retro-future soundtrack, eschewing beats and guitars for waves of frigid synth and mal-illuminated contours (“We wanted this record to have a cryptic, alien quality,” confirms co-conspirator Matthew Rozeik), the eight tracks present create a tension that’s never fully exploited, each distended, portentous chord tending to work in isolation rather than reaching towards a climax.

It’s a pity, because there are plenty of strong ideas in the mix – not to mention skeins of claustrophobic intent – but like a horror flick that looks good but never really scares, The Capsule remains a concept crying out for a narrative.