
Black Sun Rising
(Witching Hour Productions)
42:12min
This album was released in 2009, but this is the first I’ve heard of it. Not surprising considering the style of composition. NAUMACHIA synthesize their country’s (Poland in case I forgot to mention) Death Metal style with electronics, creating wide open majestic spaces in their music. Unfortunately this makes them sound like BEHEMOTH with an identity crisis, BEHEMOTH trying to be SAMAEL and DIMMU BORGIR. Not the best sounding mixture but that’s what they went for and judging this album for what it is, I would say they’ve succeeded brilliantly. I simply can’t enjoy it in the way the band and their fans apparently do. The album seems to pull the listener in two different directions, two very opposite extremes. On the one hand there’s Death Metal in the vocals and riffs, but the electronics take the bite right out of them. For instance, the second track, ‘Egomaniac Frenzy’ initially sounds quite powerful. The keyboards are still there but for a brief two minutes NAUMACHIA’s musical recipe works decently – but never well. The harmony is not long lasting. Halfway through the song a cringe-worthy Nu Metal riff presents itself, and the keyboarding takes another obnoxious turn, trying its damndest (and failing) to convey atmosphere. Thus, listening to this album in its entirety is a chore, and one I don’t care to repeat. Listen at your peril. www.facebook.com/naumachiametal, www.youtube.com/user/naumachiapoland, www.witchinghour.pl
Nathan Shapiro