Posted on: November 10, 2010 Posted by: James McQuiston Comments: 0

Necrophobic goes forward with their own brand of death metal. “Hrimthursum” may not let up throughout the near-hour of music, but there are quite a few melodies that Necrophobic uses on these tracks to keep individuals tuned in. For example, “I strike With Wrath” is on top of its own hill with the guitar solo, but this is not the only thing that Necrophobic does to bring harmony to this recording; also present and of note has to be the intricate drum work that litters the track.

When Necrophobic moves into “Age of Chaos”, the band incorporates a classical, choral-type of vocals that bolsters the high side of things where previously, only the heavy was given proper time. “Age of Chaos” is nearly six minutes long, and it takes listeners on a journey in which they are ferried along not only by the guitars and drums of a track, but also through a nearly harmony-laden set of vocals. Even when the band is purely going through the motions, as is the case with “Bloodshed Eyes”, the results are very positive. The band is able to make a track that sounds better than 90% of the metal bands on the market now, while still not losing their own sound. Where Necrophobic seem to make their best strides have to be in the storytelling aspect of “Hrimthursum”.

This means that tracks like “Eternal Winter” can have a five-plus minute track and still keep individuals interested. The band has a lot to say on “Hrimthursum”, and to just listen to the music is to miss out on half of the allure of the album. The band is able to throw together different styles for each subsequent track on “Hrimthursum”; the vocal inflection during “Death Immaculate” reminds me more of Cannibal Corpse than anything else prior on this album. For those individuals that are into metal as it currently is being pushed to the mass public, Necrophobic is not an act to check out. However, if individuals want to hear some death metal that has more than its fair share of nods to dungeon metal (acts like Mortiis), Necrophobic may just be the act to check out. The band does not take it easy, and unlike a number of other acts, the tracks on “Hrimthursum” are straightforward to the degree that one is not going to find any major derivations from Necrophobic’s original vision for the CD. The band has been around for 13 years, and this shows; the output is solid and the band sounds polished, with all members adding a little piece of themselves into the mix.

Top Tracks: Age of Chaos, Eternal Winter

Rating: 6.0/10

Necrophobic – Hrimthursum / 2006 Candlelight / 12 Tracks / http://www.necrophobic.net / http://www.candlelightrecordsusa.com / Reviewed 22 July 2006

[JMcQ]

Leave a Comment