If you've ever wondered what it would sound like if a goblin raided a brewery, hijacked a stage, and decided to write a melodic death metal album, the answer is Nekrogoblikon. And if you want to know where the band truly solidified their chaotic, catchy, and bizarre identity, look no further than their 2011 breakout record: Stench.
While the band has since released incredible follow-ups like Heavy Meta and Welcome to Bonkers, Stench remains a cult classic that demands a revisit. It is the moment the band stopped being a novelty act and proved they could shred with the best of them.
Here is why Stench is an essential listen for any metalhead looking for something fresh, frantic, and undeniably fun.
First, let’s break down the compound word. Stench is obvious—the foul, cloying odor of decay, unwashed bodies, swamp gas, and old mead. Rar is less a word and more a sound: the guttural, throaty roar a goblin makes when asserting dominance over a pile of loot or challenging a dwarf to a duel.
Combined, Stenchrar is not merely a smell or a noise. It is a state of being. According to lore snippets scattered across the band’s merchandise, lyric sheets, and between-song banter (often delivered by John Goblikon himself), Stenchrar refers to:
The mix is modern and polished: tight low end, bright mids, and crisp highs. Drums have punchy snares and focused kick samples, giving the rhythm section clarity even in dense arrangements. Guitars are layered to create weight without muddiness. The synthesizers are placed to emphasize atmosphere and comedy cues rather than to dominate. Mastering brings loudness appropriate for current metal releases but retains dynamic contrast. nekrogoblikon stenchrar
What surprises most first-time listeners is the legitimate musical talent on display. Stench is not a comedy album; it is a ferociously tight melodic death metal record.
Drawing comparisons to heavyweights like Children of Bodom and early In Flames, the guitar work by Alex Alulis and Tim Lyakhov is razor-sharp. The riffs are fast, the solos are neo-classical flourishes of brilliance, and the rhythm section drives the songs forward with a punk-rock urgency.
Vocalist Nicky Calonne showcases an impressive range. He seamlessly transitions from guttural growls and high-pitched shrieks to surprising melodic cleans. This variety keeps the album dynamic; you aren't just hearing blast beats for forty minutes, you are listening to fully composed songs with verses and choruses that get stuck in your head for days.
Nekrogoblikon’s lyrical content has always blended fantasy imagery with real-world references and meta-humor. Stenchrar continues this by exploring:
The result is an album that’s entertaining on the surface and occasionally surprisingly reflective underneath. If you've ever wondered what it would sound
Upon its digital re-release in 2012, Nekrogoblikon Stenchrar was universally panned by metal critics. AngryMetalGuy gave it a 0.5/10, writing: "This isn't music. It's an audio prank. The production sounds like a dying fax machine."
However, as Nekrogoblikon grew more popular and their sound became cleaner (think Welcome to Bonkers’ "Dressed as Goblins"), a revisionist appreciation for "Stenchrar" emerged. It is now viewed as "anti-art" or a "deconstruction of metal production standards."
In 2023, the song was listed by MetalSucks as #7 on their list of "Songs That Should Never Be Remastered." The article argued: "To remaster Stenchrar would be to kill it. The bad recording is the song. It is a captured moment of a band making exactly the noise they wanted to make, consequences be damned."
Collectors now pay handsomely for the original 2009 CD-R version of the Stench EP, which lists "Stenchrar" with a different, unprintable subtitle.
For a song that was buried for years, Nekrogoblikon Stenchrar has achieved legendary status live. Between 2010 and 2014, the band would occasionally pull it out as a "punishment" for the encore. The result is an album that’s entertaining on
Veteran fans recall the "Stenchrar Rule": If the band plays it, you must start a "mud pit." In the absence of actual mud, fans would pour beer on the floor or throw water bottles. At the 2011 Nekro-Fest in Santa Cruz, the band allegedly stopped mid-song to spray the crowd with a hose filled with coffee grounds and water.
Guitarist Alex Alereon (founding member) once described the live dynamic in a 2016 Reddit AMA:
"Stenchrar is our reset button. When we feel the crowd is too clean, too showered, we play it. It scares the posers. It brings us back to the basement. Nicky usually loses his voice halfway through and just starts hitting a trash can lid."
Since the departure of that era’s lineup and the arrival of the Welcome to Bonkers production crew, "Stenchrar" has been retired. The band confirmed in a 2024 interview that they will "probably never play it again," because "modern gear is too expensive to get covered in fake sewage."