Climb on the stage, dive off, hit the floor, repeat……………Back in 2012 I stumbled across a rowdy bunch of thrashers by the name of Nekromantheon laying waste to the cramped confines of Oslo’s John Dee, and as well as being blown away by their power, I will never forget the dedicated stage diver who was soon covered in blood but did not let that dampen his dedication to the cause!
It has been nine years since that show and Nekromantheon’s awesome ‘Rise, Vulcan Spectre’ album but they have lost none of their ferocity during that time, and this new album carries on where ‘Rise….’ finished off, immediately carrying you back to the 80s when thrash was new and felt both exciting and dangerous.
Opening track, ‘The Visions of Trismegistos’, spends thirty seconds or so building before launching into a full-on vitriolic thrash assault. This is raw and nasty, the vocals are abrasive, the guitars are screaming and the percussion is a relentless barrage. ‘Seven Rulers of Fate’ and ‘Faustian Rites’ do not let up and continue the onslaught bringing to mind early Slayer, maybe Sadus, and any of the Teutonic thrash bands. There is a slight dip in pace mid-way through ‘Neptune Descent’ but there is no let-up in intensity. There is a lengthy intro (at least by thrash metal standards!) leading into ‘Scorched Death’, but this is soon let off the leash and runs away with frantic urgency and is sure to cause chaos in pits over coming years. Searing guitar work builds during ‘Dead Temples’ until a glorious rhythmic session temporarily takes hold making it impossible not to bang your head. The album is brought to a close with ‘Thanatos’ and ‘Zealot Reign’ which continue battering until the very last chord.
This is unrelenting, frantic and ferocious. It is noisy, raw and unyielding……and it is fantastic. It is thrash, but it is dirty and could probably be considered blackened thrash in some ways, perhaps with a hint of speed metal thrown in. This has gloriously captured the spirit of the 80s and dragged it kicking and screaming into 2021, managing to sound relevant and fresh. I look forward to crossing paths with these obstreperous Norwegians at some point in future, hopefully before too long.
(8.5/10 Andy Pountney)
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