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Nekromantheon: Rise, vulcan spectre

21/02/12 || Smalley

While I haven’t had a whole lot of luck in finding neo-thrash bands that I actually enjoy (sorry, Vektor!), Norway’s Nekromantheon have succeeded in getting me to be more open-minded towards the young guns with 2012’s “Rise, vulcan spectre” (are they doing viral marketing for next Star Trek?). If you’re looking for something real experimental and revolutionary in yer neo-thrash, “spectre” won’t be for you, but if you already enjoy any thrash at all, some more sheer, blistering speed should be more than enough to tickle your pickle, right? And if so, “spectre” has more than enough of the good shit to lift and maintain your thrashrection, maybe even enough to give you a thrashpism, though you’ll need to consult your local metal health doc if that happens.

Anyway, the obvious main influence here is “Reign in blood”, right from the opening, rub-you-bleeding-raw riffage volley that starts up “Cast down to the void”; it’s nearly impossible not to be reminded of the first few secs of “Angel of death”. Add in how the drumming takes after that mostly straight-forward, snare-pound heavy style Lombardo did back in the day, the solos have the same chaotic, wail-friendly vibe of Kerry King, or how the rhythm guitar production has the same raw, dry edge as “Reign” did (albeit a bit shittier-sounding), it’s almost head-smackingly obvious who Nekro takes after here. There are a few parts that reminded me other thrashers instead, but most of the influences here can still be traced back to the slaying ones.

However, they avoid diving down into sound-plagiarism territory through frontman Arild’s vocals, which shy away from the cleaner shouting or falsetto shrieks that Araya signatured, but rather, have a deeper, rougher “barking shout” about them, which is refreshing, since it sounds more like the band’s trying something of their own rather than just have everything they do take after some other, older band. They do get a lil’ tiresome after a while, and they could’ve done without that ceaseless echo effect, but it doesn’t really ruin anything, at least, and I still admire his (mild) uniqueness.

Besides all of that, there’s not much I can write for “Rise”; there’s some mid-tempo stuff, but it’s mostly just full-speed-ahead, with enough tempo switch-ups and solos in the expected places to keep it from becoming tiring, and enough parts that don’t specifically remind me of “Reign in blood” moments to not be a rip-off. Still, fast doesn’t always equal “catchy”, but I was never not nodding my head along to the riffs here, so Nekro deserves some extra credit for that. Anyway, I would’ve just submitted this as a stub instead, but it would’ve been too long for that, so just consider this article a “restub”, or somethin’. But it does makes sense, that a review for this album would be short, fast, and to the point, and doesn’t overstay its welcome. While Nekromantheon aren’t doing anything as good as the albums in Slayer’s golden age yet, and this doesn’t reinvent the wheel at all, but I certainly ain’t about to turn it down. So yeah, pretty solid, catchy, thrashy fun to be had here, so feel free to go a lil’ nuts.

7,5

Information
Released: 2012
Label: Indie Recordings
Website: Nekromantheon MySpace
Band
Arild “Arse” Myren Torp: guitars, vocals
Sindre Solem: bass
Christian Holm: drums

Tracklist
01. Cast Down To The Void
02. Blood Wisdom
03. Embrace The Oracle
04. Coven Of The Minotaur
05. The Usurper Command
06. Rise, Vulcan Spectre
07. Twelve Depths Of Hades
08. Raised By Dogs

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