Can an album be too long? Arguably if you are a music fan then your attention span towards audio should be at least the same if not more than that of visual media, that said lengthy albums still seem to remain a novelty or even a taboo. Two long albums that spring to my mind are Judas Priest’s Nostradamus and Iron Maiden’s The Book Of Souls. Whilst the first album may have suffered from its dragging longevity the later is a masterpiece and proves that long albums have a place and can be great. Those examples come from mainstream artists though, how do these biblical releases fair in the underground?
Necros Christos are no strangers to the extreme, never holding back and always straying from trends representing a part of the underground that is probably trver than trve, even with the band gaining praise over the years they never seem to vomit forth and present themselves remaining bizarrely humble for such an punishing act. Domedon Doxomedon picks up where Doom Of The Occult left off, presenting further long winded extreme passages of ritualistic torment.
The album is split into three discs, Ith, Seth and Tei each following a similar structure of orthodox instrumentals that fill the senses like smog and surprisingly keep the album fresh, normally I cannot stand instrumentals but here it just works, leaving the actual Metal songs to stand alone and shine, equally the instrumentals give you a chance to absorb the utter might of each track. The opener I Am Christ is only the first of many high points, massive epic Death Metal riffs tear across a blackened landscape in a progressive, technical, and overall old school fashion.
Other tracks that bring this total chaos are Tombstone Chapel, a personal favourite that also shows some of the bands most memorable moments, proving that Necros Christos aren’t afraid to be catchy. Exiled In Transformation lights up the second album Seth as a tome of crushing Death Metal bliss, truly the unique nature of Necros’ sound cannot be denied. Amongst the final part of the album we have Exodos a stunning example of the coffin dust covered sound of Necros Christos. This album all in all is drastically well planned, not once does it feel boring, or even long for that matter.
When I first thought to review this album I was a touch apprehensive, is it going to be too long? Will I regret choosing to review such a mammoth album? I’m pleased to say however that Domedon Doxomedon far exceeded my expectations, being a fan of Necros Christos already this has only made my love for them grow stronger, it is a shame that it will be their final tome, but none the less they went out with a bang, bringing a vast array of influences into a pot of anti-trend and creating what will undoubtedly go down in history as an underground classic
(9/10 George Caley)
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