NECROPHOBIC - Bloodhymns
1. Taste of Black
2. Dreams Shall Flesh
3. Act Of Rebellion
4. Shadowseeds
5. Mourningsoul
6. Helfire
7. Cult Of Blood
8. Roots Of Heldrasill
9. Blood Anthem
10. Among The Storms
Label:Hammerheart Records
Release date: 2002
Artist site:http://www.necrophobic.net/
GRADE:
9/10
For those of you not familiar, NECROPHOBIC have been hammering out CDs for Black Mark Records for 10 years or so. Their brand of Swedish blackened death metal has always been enjoyable to these ears and I was delighted to find they had a new CD out, and on Hammerheart Records, no less! Finally, a label with a bit of a presence and the power to push NECROPHOBIC to the front a bit more. Bloodhymns deserves it, these ten hymns infectious, catchy, heavy as hell and as pure as the blood which inspired them.
The production, done by the band and the legendary Tomas Skogsberg is pristine, every instrument heard distinctly. I sincerely believe that the only thing this band has been missing is label support, and hopefully they will get that at their new home. Taste Of Black opens things up, busting through the gates, and is exactly that, a taste of black. New rhythm guitarist Johan Bergeback fits in perfectly, the rest of the lineup intact from The Third Antichrist. And while Ive read in interviews with lead/rhythm guitarist Sebastian Ramstedt that he doesnt like solos that much, I must say his work is rather tasty! On Helfire, for instance, he just rips it up! Act Of Rebellion, tons of riffs, tempo changes, really cool thrashy drums; its definitely a standout. I also like Shadowseeds, particularly the repeating guitar melody, which is very epic a la Amon Amarth. Thats not to say that NECROPHOBIC are clones, because they are anything but. Its just one band, along with Enslaved, that comes to mind when listening to some of this CD. That vibe is clearly present on Mourningsoul. The highlight for me, though, is found in the last two tracks. Blood Anthem has this really nice groove going throughout, leading into Among the Storms, an instrumental track which ends the album in a subdued, but effective way.
Aside from the photos of the vocalist in his red jacket, youd be hard pressed to find any flaws on this one, boys and girls! If you dont have any of this bands catalog, I strongly suggest at the very least obtaining Bloodhymns and The Third Antichrist. They are both highly overlooked classics.
PJ
1. Taste of Black
2. Dreams Shall Flesh
3. Act Of Rebellion
4. Shadowseeds
5. Mourningsoul
6. Helfire
7. Cult Of Blood
8. Roots Of Heldrasill
9. Blood Anthem
10. Among The Storms
Label:Hammerheart Records
Release date: 2002
Artist site:http://www.necrophobic.net/
GRADE:
9/10
For those of you not familiar, NECROPHOBIC have been hammering out CDs for Black Mark Records for 10 years or so. Their brand of Swedish blackened death metal has always been enjoyable to these ears and I was delighted to find they had a new CD out, and on Hammerheart Records, no less! Finally, a label with a bit of a presence and the power to push NECROPHOBIC to the front a bit more. Bloodhymns deserves it, these ten hymns infectious, catchy, heavy as hell and as pure as the blood which inspired them.
The production, done by the band and the legendary Tomas Skogsberg is pristine, every instrument heard distinctly. I sincerely believe that the only thing this band has been missing is label support, and hopefully they will get that at their new home. Taste Of Black opens things up, busting through the gates, and is exactly that, a taste of black. New rhythm guitarist Johan Bergeback fits in perfectly, the rest of the lineup intact from The Third Antichrist. And while Ive read in interviews with lead/rhythm guitarist Sebastian Ramstedt that he doesnt like solos that much, I must say his work is rather tasty! On Helfire, for instance, he just rips it up! Act Of Rebellion, tons of riffs, tempo changes, really cool thrashy drums; its definitely a standout. I also like Shadowseeds, particularly the repeating guitar melody, which is very epic a la Amon Amarth. Thats not to say that NECROPHOBIC are clones, because they are anything but. Its just one band, along with Enslaved, that comes to mind when listening to some of this CD. That vibe is clearly present on Mourningsoul. The highlight for me, though, is found in the last two tracks. Blood Anthem has this really nice groove going throughout, leading into Among the Storms, an instrumental track which ends the album in a subdued, but effective way.
Aside from the photos of the vocalist in his red jacket, youd be hard pressed to find any flaws on this one, boys and girls! If you dont have any of this bands catalog, I strongly suggest at the very least obtaining Bloodhymns and The Third Antichrist. They are both highly overlooked classics.
PJ
