NECROPHOBIC would probably already belong for several years to the biggest bands within the Death Metal scene if there would be any kind of justice in the music scene. Unfortunately and despite the fact that this band is hailed by the insiders for a long time, NECROPHOBIC never managed to outgrow their underground-status so far. Much, if not everything, has to do with their old label Black Mark who never really promoted the band or sent them on a decent tour. With Hammerheart, NECROPHOBIC found a new label, hopefully things will work out in a much better way with them. “Bloodhymns”, the fourth album is – just as all previous NECROPHOBIC releases – outstanding and the ideal mixture of furious Black and Death metal. A comparison to a band like DISSECTION (which was done rather often in the past) doesn’t do any justice to “Bloodhymns” as NECROPHOBIC really managed to create an own sound in the meantime. The major part of the songs on “Bloodhymns” are rather fast and features very aggressive riffs and fine harmonies which are somehow already NECROPHOBIC’s trademark. You can also still hear very clearly the influences of the Swedish sound of the early nineties (UNLEASHED, DISMEMBER…), but those influences are worked out very well throughout the songs. The sound of “Bloodhymns” is to my opinion also much more brutal than on the previous output “The Third Antichrist”. Let’s hope that NECROPHOBIC will be able to tour a lot to support this new album. Rumours about a possible tour in June together with ANCIENT RITES and PRIMORDIAL (an excellent bill if you ask me…) are already going around, hopefully this will also take place in the end…