Constant To Death
(El Puerto Records)
48:40min
NECRONOMICON from Baden-Württemberg in Germany were founded in 1984 and are now releasing their eleventh studio album “Constant To Death”. The undoubted real veterans of German Thrash Metal seem like not yet ready to roll off even after the last offense with “The Final Chapter” (2021) and the story of the Book of the Dead continues. This is why some bands are impressive only because they see no reason to stop their activities. On “Constant To Death” the band around founding member and band leader Volker “Freddy” Fredrich once again delivers more than proper, uncompromising teutonic Thrash Metal, with a surprising mix of Punk and Power Metal. From the very beginning with the title intro to the frighteningly trivial pieces like ‘They Lie’ and ‘Stored In Blood’, it’s almost unbelievable how they constantly keep delivering strong compositions! Also, just think of early high-velocity Thrash rockets like ‘Evil Has No Boundaries’ or ‘Strike Of The Beast’ and the massive energy they still set free. Rasping guitars, solid riffs, and an expressive solo part – in here of abundance. Rik Charron (ex – EXCITER, DARK MINISTRY) ensures precise drumming with decent double bass and skillful fills as well as Glen Shannon (ex – MIND ASSASSIN) with his varied guitar solos also characterizes the sound of the current NECRONOMICON. With aggression and playfulness combined, I even like the fact that they make no secret of certain influences since they skillfully mix them with their charm anyway. It’s noticeable that NECRONOMICON, on the whole, put their foot down less on the gas pedal than it was the case in the few past full-lengths. It is also noticeable that their sound became a bit fatter and the vocals are given more weight in the overall production. The fact that Power Metal is also an important part of NECRONOMICON is underlined by the band with melodic moments and catchy refrains like in the dark ‘A Voice Of The Voiceless’ or ‘The Guilty Shepherd’. With a crunchy, modern, powerful production, NECRONOMICON seems to be looking to step out of its niche in Thrash Metal a bit more. That shows the band a bit stylistically broader, without losing accessibility, but still offering enough typical Thrash hits, like the title song or ‘Stored In Blood’ and ‘Strike Of The Beast’, to serve their fans in style. It’s nasty, sawing, sharp skull-splitter riffs, neck-breaking rhythms, piercing vocals, angry choruses and dark atmosphere, as you know it from NECRONOMICON. And thus, prove that they have continued to keep their hunger and the troupe seems hungrier, fresher, more well-rehearsed with broadening their visions and horizons a bit again. “Constant To Death” should get the attention it deserves, offering everything the genre fan could desire in this era. To find out more about NECRONOMICON and their label visit www.facebook.com/necronomiconofficial or www.facebook.com/elpuertorecords
Randolph Whateley
• NECRONOMICON - The Final Chapter (Randolph Whateley)
• NECRONOMICON - Revenge Of The Beast (Matthias Auch)
• NECRONOMICON - Pharaoh Of Gods (Sigtyr)