Necronomicon - Rise Of The Elder Ones (2013)




INFO:

In recent years Quebec has come to be known more for their atmospheric/ambient black metal output, but Necronomicon has been unleashing a more violent and brutal form of extremity since their early days, forming all the way back in 1988. This year sees the band releasing their fourth full length opus, fittingly titled The Rise of the Elder Ones.

The band’s aural assault is immediate and relentless, and right from the start of the album with Resurrected, the listener is battered by the blasting of Rick. The crushing intensity, speed and brutality that is in the music of Necronomicon quickly reminds one of bands such as Hour of Penance and the likes, and the at times rather Eastern sounding melodies that are unleashed by guitarist Rob even brings about some slight Nile comparison. The band often displays rather complex technicality in their playing as well, and apart from the excellent drumming of Rick, Rob’s guitar riffs and lead spots can get rather technical as well.

But quickly enough the band shows themselves to be a rather different breed of animal, with the symphonic elements coming into the picture halfway through Resurrected. The band lists Dimmu Borgir as one of the main influences, and this is rather clear, as usage of synths is rather heavy throughout the album, often shrouding the songs on the album in a fog of mystery. This, combined with the brutality of the rest of the band, one can’t help but be reminded of the symphonic death metal style of bands such as Fleshgod Apocalypse‘s earlier material or to a lesser extent, Septicflesh and their more symphonic-leaning material. Such symphonic elements certainly help in rousing some emotions in the listener, especially on songs like The End of Times with the desperate-sounding vocals of Rob. Furthermore, there are even some slightly blackened touches here and there as the album progresses, and these moments are sure to please fans of Polish hordes Behemoth.

I typically find symphonic extreme metal rather distasteful, apart from few selected bands such as Septicflesh and the more epic bands such as The Project Hate. But Necronomicon‘s superb songwriting ability is shown, with the band managing to find that crucial balance on their fourth full length effort Rise of the Elder Ones, with the symphonic elements complementing well with the brutality of their brand of death metal, making this one of the few symphonic albums that I could really grow a liking for.


Tracklist:

1. Resurrected
2. The End Of Times
3. The Living God (Pharaoh Of Gods Part II)
4. The Nuclear Chaos
5. From Beyond
6. Rise Of The Elder Ones
7. The Valley Of The Lost Souls
8. Celestial Being
9. Dark Corners Of The Earth
10. The Fallen

Genre: Black
Subgenre: Death / Black Metal
Bitrate: 320 k
Size: 99.70 MB