From Kristianstad, Sweden, comes this 4-horned monster, better known as NECROVATION. Unlike many other new Swedish Death Metal groups, adopting a similar approach to their Death Metal to form their own little DISMEMBERs and ENTOMBEDs – going up and down the same road and hoping for the best, NECROVATION do sound like a very non-Swedish Death Metal act for their own good. The band’s 2nd, self-titled 9-track record sounds diverse, challenging and even progressive at times, still holding tightly a black candle for the times of old school Death Metal for most of the time. In fact, NECROVATION is much closer early David Vincent era MORBID ANGEL than one could expect at first; some of the leads off of this record could well be Trey Azagthoth’s; some of the sludg-ish riffs could be taken from the band’s "Domination" record – and even there’s something so familiar in Seb’s death grunts that at least occasionally, tend to conjure up Mr. Vincent’s death growls from the ‘Morbid Ones’. Then again, don’t read me wrong because NECROVATION ain’t any MORBID ANGEL clone band by any means; there’s much more going on within their stuff than only trying to re-produce a similar sound that MORBID ANGEL used to have on some of their earlier records. While the band sounds vile, brutal, menacing and all that, they have really far-sighted enough to incorporate some pretty unusual breaks and clever hooks into their own songs – just to make a difference, so to speak. Also, with repeated listens, it’s cool to notice that there’s always something new to be discovered on this record – being it a single solo outburst or some rhythm change that sets a song into a whole different mood. To cut this short, all in all, an album that should not be missed by any (old school) Death Metal fan out there. www.necrovation.com, www.agoniarecords.com

Four years ago NECROVATION released “Breed Deadness Blood”, to great applause. They, along with TRIBULATION, DEGIAL and INVIDIOUS, are considered the vanguard of a new era in excellent Swedish Death Metal. Listening to this album, simply titled, “Necrovation”, I would say the new age is well under way. This beast of an album necessarily differs from “Breed Deadness Blood” but not in the way follow-ups usually do, being a continuation of the album that came before. Rather, “Necrovation” stands out in the band’s discography as having no predecessor. This is new ground for NECROVATION and, if they lose fans for it, surely with this material being as strong as it is, two fans will be there to replace any one that is lost. So, how exactly is this album different from “Breed Deadness Blood"? I could go on and on, but suffice it to say this new album is more melodic, (in a dark way, none of that DARK TRANQUILLITY horseshit) and slower. The band clearly appears to have taken their time these last four years, crafting an album that will be remembered for its own strength, not just as a new addition to a new Death Metal scene. It may also go down in history as sounding different from its contemporaries as well. The song ‘Pulse Of Towering Madness’, for example, won’t win any records for speed, but the dark, enveloping atmosphere that characterized the last album is still there, just produced through different means. And, no other band in Sweden, to my knowledge, writes Death Metal in this way. In particular I find this song simple, yet deadly – a highlight of the album’s style. But for those fans who prefer the straightforward attack, there are songs like ‘Commander Of Remains’ and ‘New Depths’ – rippers for sure, but even these hymns have wide spaces, room for NECROVATION’s new tricks. This album has surprised me in more ways than one. NECROVATION have made a huge leap and I encourage you all to witness it by listening to this album! Hails! www.facebook.com/necrovationdeathmetal, www.agoniarecords.com