Nekromantheon, Rise, Vulcan Spectre
Divinity of Death, Nekromantheon’s debut album was pretty goddamned violent with it’s blend of Sepultura and Slayer (amongst others) that was utterly relentless in its pursuit of crushing in your cranial cavity. If you were lucky enough to survive that initial onslaught, this band of Norwegian hellions are back to give your skull a second chance at implosion.
Just like the band’s first release, Rise, Vulcan Spectre is, for the most part, and full on assault on your cerebral region. Blasting drums and driving riffs delivered with a similar old school aesthetic pummel and bludgeon their way to your very core. The rough production fits the band’s sound perfectly and is a throw back to times when music like this was supposed to be ugly. Was supposed to be gritty and raw. Well, this sophomore effort from Nekromantheon is certainly damned ugly in a good way.
“Cast Down to the Void” starts things off with a vibe like that of Sepultura’s Morbid Visions/Bestial Devestation EP (cassette) that I picked up back in 1990. It’s raw, unfiltered and makes me smile like a gleeful serial killer who has just successfully stalked down his fifth victim. The brutal thrash these guys play is infectious and gets in your head quicker than you could get into Lindsey Lohan’s pants. Ok, maybe not that quickly, but you get the idea.
“Coven of the Minotaur,” much like most of the album is straightforward, vicious thrash that’s played with little pretence. These guys just want to thrash and thrash harder and dirtier than any one else. And do they ever. The title track is a prime example as it plunders your skull with chainsawing guitars and an unrelenting, methodical tempo. “Twelve Depths of Hades” slows things down a bit, but is no less evil or destructive. It’s got some sick drum work and malevolent vocals as the guitars twist and turn. “Raised by Dogs” closes out another solid helping of gritty, violent thrash like a champ. It starts off slowly as it builds to a frenzied pace around the one minute mark (punctuated by a raw scream).
Much like the music found on the band’s debut effort, Rise, Vulcan Spectre is full of unstoppable thrash delivered through a blood-stained wood chipper large enough to engulf your lifeless corpse easily. These guys play hard. They play fast. And they don’t do anything else that would get in the way of their nasty thrashing mayhem. It’s bands like this that continue to reaffirm my faith in metal.