The risk of such short-term productivity is always that a band may be dipping into their pantry a bit too much, leaving themselves short on inspiration and creativity. The burnout can become very real, very quickly. But these murderous little minks seem to prove, time and time again, that their cache of killer riffs is still stocked to the gills. Seriously, immense props need to be given to Heikki Jalonen (otherwise known as THE Necro Weasel himself) for continuing to find really fun, inspired thrash riffs like they were roaches in a New York City apartment – always readily available and yet somehow no less demanding of your attention every time you encounter one.

Right off the bat, the opening title track treats us to a really upbeat guitar attack (featuring some absolutely righteous dive bombs in the intro that make me giddy with idiotic glee) that pretty much let you know exactly what to expect for the remainder of the album. There’s a real knack from this project for taking some very serious real-world issues, and somehow still making songs that sound almost joyous and cheerful – no doubt due largely to the band’s punky, crossover appeal. “All They Want is Us to Suffer” should not sound like a real fun time, never mind a track called “Out For Your Blood,” and yet both leave me feeling energized and lighter on my feet – hitting you face-first with pure adrenaline riffs and some downright nasty solos that remind you, one again, that despite the silly moniker and DIY aesthetic these are serious and highly capable musicians more than capable of melting faces at any moment.

Much like their tiny, furry namesakes however, Necro Weasel is still more than capable of surprising you with more serious, deadly intent. I won’t necessarily say this album showcases the band in a darker-than-usual light, but they sure as shit ain’t getting any softer, either. “Keep Breathing” and “No Good Deed Goes Unpunished” both feel much more seething, borrowing a little more from the schools of Slayer and Sodom than the more tongue-in-cheek D.R.I. or Iron Reagan as they put the problems of the modern world on blast, and “You Chose to Close Your Eyes” feels like a deliberate assault on the listener, making you stare directly into the face of injustice and human greed. I feel called out! “No Good Deed…” even breaks out the use of double-bass kick (not unheard of from the band, but rare) to further show they mean business, giving the track a much more straight-up metallic feel than we’re used to hearing from these guys.

Apologies to Necro Weasel for taking my sweet-ass time getting a review out for this, seeing as they went out of their way to ask if I’d do it. Life, as Necro Weasel themselves likely know very well given the content of their subject matter, often gets in the way of the things we’d rather be doing. That said, I both take solace in and bemoan the notion that there’s a good chance this one probably went without notice for a lot of folks at its release, so hopefully this helps give the band another boost of attention (like I’ve got that kind of pull…) because this band truly deserves it. Make no mistake, behind the DIY-aesthetics and misleading moniker still lies the beating heart of a really high-quality Thrash attack, backed by the kind of riff wizardry that for too long has flown under the radar. Refuse to take seriously at your own peril, because A Brave New World is yet another rock-solid addition in what is very quickly becoming a really impressive catalog, with teeth as sharp as ever at the ready to murder you just when you let your guard down.

NOPE. WRONG. Weasels are little fur-bound killing machines. They’re tiny, adorable Ghengis Kahns. They are more necro than you and I will ever be.

Get this – a weasel’s metabolism runs crazy fast, to the point that they have to eat at least half their own body weight every single day. Because of this, they’re constantly running around murdering shit. We’re talking all day long killing sprees, chasing and pouncing on their prey, wrapping their tiny legs around their bodies, and delivering one crushing, fatal bite to the back of their skull or neck. IT’S THE SAME WAY JAGUARS KILL THEIR PREY. They will kill even if they’re not hungry, and stash away the corpses of their victims (which can apparently be up to 10 times their size – do not watch if animal-on-animal homicide isn’t your thing) as leftovers. They will kill you, then steal your damn house. They will jump on a friggin bird’s back and murder them mid-flight. According to Native American legend, one of these little psychopaths killed a goddamn Windigo by crawling up its anus and EATING ITS HEART FROM THE INSIDE.

So do not mock Necro Weasel. Weasels will fuck up your world.

That much wanton murder requires a hell of a work ethic, and these Finnish thrashers certainly match that energy. Consisting of vocalist/guitarist/bassist Necro Weasel (it is unclear if they are, in fact, a weasel) and drummer East Bay Max, Never Again is already their second full length of 2022, following the fun, fast and furious Global Warning, and their fourth since April of 2020 (not to mention two EPs released in the middle of all that). For those of you new to this project, the band brings a blistering, blue-collar brand of high-energy crossover thrash that will give you the juice needed to hit the circle pit or drop into your nearest halfpipe or empty swimming pool with reckless abandon. For those of you already familiar with these metallic minks, you’ll notice that Never Again hits with a grimier, less polished punch than its predecessors. While none of their work could ever necessarily be mistaken for sonic production masterclasses, the likes of Global Warning and Another Day to Waste were sleek ferrets compared to the snarling, mangey Wolverine or Fischer Cat that is Never Again. The band themselves admit that the change is intentional, giving the album more of a feral, unhinged sort of appeal that suits the general subject matter of Never Again pretty damn well – with the band once again focusing on the challenges of mental health and anxiety that come with, you know, being alive these days. Fun times! If by “circle pit” you mean “curl up into a ball in a pit of despair,” then yeah, CIRCLE PIT!

In all seriousness, Never Again truly does see Necro Weasel lay down some of their most serious work to date – with notable highlights including the album’s title track, and the thrashing, tremolo-picked “Sheep,” both clocking in around the 5:30 mark, serving as the biggest examples of the band’s general focus on adding a bit of meat to the bone. Obviously, “longer” is not an automatic by-word for “better,” but in this case Necro Weasel uses the increased running time well, allowing songs to really flesh out to their full potential. And it’s not as if Necro Weasel himself shows any signs of running out of riffs, either. Song after song greets you with an absolute battery of excellent thrash riffs, along with – in the instances of “Never Again” and in particular “This Reality,” the band show not only a willingness, but a proficiency in busting out some really superb, blackened melodies akin to the likes of Dödsrit or Uada – adding another dimension to the band’s sound that is certainly welcome to these ears, and a level of maturity that the band continues to showcase with every new release. But these guys can certainly get down and dirty with the best of them, as well. “To Weaken and Destroy” delivers as shit-grinning and swaggered a riff as you’ll hear, and “Vocation to Sustain” and “The Last Breath” serve up the sort of uptempo, punky piss and vinegar that would make the most righteous of Midnight fans swoon with glee.

I can’t necessarily begrudge anyone for judging this book by its cover. As hungry for gore and ready to kill as a weasel may be, it’s still the kind of name that can be difficult too take to seriously. I get it. That said, I promise you this is a project worthy of any thrash fans’ attention – one that, like it’s namesake, bites a lot harder than its appearances suggest. Maybe that’s been the band’s point all along, to lull listeners into a sense of security right before going in for the kill. Clever little ermine bastards.