SHOCK NARCOTIC – My Flesh Is Afraid but I Am Not

RELEASE YEAR: 2025
BAND URL: https://shocknarcotic.bandcamp.com/album/my-flesh-is-afraid-but-i-am-not

The fabulous yet underrated extreme metal squadron known as Shock Narcotic released this bone-shattering affair of theirs via the ever-reliable Housecore Records roughly a week ago, and there is plenty to get excited about here, friends. Why is that? Well, these chaps have honed their sound and sharpened their musical claws for years now, and My Flesh Is Afraid but I Am Not just so happens to be an accomplished, fully formed, and engaging record designed to make you dizzy.

The compositions are sharp and concise, and they crackle with dark energy all the while delivering venom and pathos in equal measure, but they also contain myriads of nuances and some deeply interesting textures that the keen listener will undoubtedly pick up on. I am talking about subtle layers and shades of almost intangible anger and vitriol that inevitably shape an engrossing piece of work that warrants repeated listens. The words that accompany the twisted, neck-breaking riffs are powerful and emanate with meaning, and there is a significance and a purpose to such titles and lines as “Oblivion Licker” and “The Benefits of Being Worm Food.” The instantly memorable “Cling to the Familiar” marks a high point in the group’s career, the rumbling “We Are the Enemy” is outright intoxicating and strangely uplifting, and “A Mass Suicide in Progress” is as intense as they come. Their take on grindcore is simply superb as it incorporates hardcore and to a lesser extent metalcore in a seamless manner – everything flows incredibly well here. 

Shock Narcotic once again proves to be one of the underground’s finest and most noteworthy acts and one that undoubtedly deserves a wider audience. If in the right frame of mind this will feel and sound like an elemental force of nature to you.