NECRONOMICON
“Constant To Death”
Album Review by Iron Mathew

10/10

Necronomicon are a thrash metal band from Germany formed in 1984 by singer/guitarist Volker ‘Freddy’ Fredrich. The band released their self titled debut album in 1986, with ten more studio albums following over a forty year career – interrupted by a ten year hiatus during the nineties and into the noughties! 2004 saw the bands resurrection with ‘Construction Of Evil’, after which the band never looked back! Necronomicon are regarded as one of the most exciting thrash metal bands to have ever emerged from Germany – originally forming during the eighties when thrash metal exploded onto the world scene courtesy of “The Big 4” and “The Teutonic Four”.

Spearheaded by frontman (and only original band member) Freddy, Necronomicon are hitting hard and thrashing harder! Twelve new songs over fifty furious minutes, sees the band seamlessly meld thrash and traditional heavy metal to fantastic effect – the album exploding into life with the fiesty title song ‘Constant To Death’. Blending together aggression and brutality into a mid tempo heavy stomp, ‘Constant To Death’ (the song) is fairly sedate compared to the speed normally associated with the band (and thrash in general), but this is only the warm up for what is to follow! The menacing and blistering speedster ‘They Lie’ – travelling at high velocity, challenging the speed of sound and light to a race! Necronomicon are on fire here, scorching the earth to leave only smoke and desolation in their wake – ‘Redemption’ maintaining the albums recent turn of blinding speed. The onslaught from the band is incredible, surging forth with all the menace and aggression of traditional sounding thrash metal.

With pace and intensity levels rising higher and higher, ‘Constant To Death’ (the album) continues apace with ‘Stored In Blood’ bringing forth an old school NWOBHM guitar tone to complement the bands all out thrash attack. An attack which has been getting more ferocious the longer the album has run! German thrash is renowned for being more brutal and harsh than either the American or British style, with Necronomicon keeping that reputation fully intact. ‘The Guilty Shepherd’ – with its short, harrowing story telling-like intro, bursts into a searing rampage of menace and aggression, the band wound up and wreaking havoc among the masses with a neck breaking barrage of head bang ability. Many of the songs on offer are under four minutes in length, with a fair few less than three! Entering a more heavy metal realm than thrash, ‘A Voice For The Voiceless’ is a melodic march to attract fans of traditional metal to the bands soundscape. This type of genre spanning metal is so bloody attractive, honing in on a wide array of listeners, fans and followers.

Harsh guitars give life to ‘Black Rain’ – a brash barrage of thunder booming over the land, sending shivers and vibrations down the spine of every metalhead! Not to mention the crushing force destroying buildings and smashing the ground, Necronomicon blasting everything and anything into oblivion with devastating accuracy! Clocking in at just over two minutes in length, ‘Children Cry Alone’ is the shortest song on offer – and is a scorching hot, unrelenting thrash metal attack! The speed is phenomenal, the head bang ability incredible – ‘Children Cry Alone’ a tremendous tirade of thrash! Simply breath taking! And with blood rushing through veins at a hundred miles an hour and adrenaline levels soaring through the roof, the band storm on with ‘Bloodrush’, displaying the bands penchant for blending thrash, power, and heavy metal traits into one all encompassing metal assault.

There’s no stopping the band now they’re in full flight, Freddy and co. dominating the airways with majesty and poise. ‘Down From Above’ maintains the albums overall energetic pace and blistering speed! The band ain’t slowing down for no-one, not the authorities and definitely not for speed limit signs! Necronomicon are in destructive mood, destroying anything foolish enough to be in the bands way! So watch out readers and listeners – you may be next. Look out! What’s that behind you? The incoming wrath of ‘The Blood Runs Red’, replete with a menacing spoken word intro, launching forth with a fiery high velocity surge, and a rising thunder, fire and brimstone attitude! ‘The Blood Runs Red’ is everything the German outfit stands for – aggressive, in your face and highly head bang-able thrash. And with the final song looming large on the horizon, Necronomicon have proven why they are still a major force in the worldwide thrash metal scene – ‘Poverty Show’ closing the album out in a blazing firestorm of feisty thrash. As fast as anything else on offer, ‘Poverty Show’ is a fantastic final hurrah to leave every listener, fan and follower breathless. And wait a moment – there’s an outro still to go! Simply titled ‘Outro’, the band deliver an atmospheric and sinister sounding, two minute warm down from the breath taking and highly energetic thrash metal rampage of the last fifty minutes.

Overall, a high velocity gallop of aggression and brutality, melding thrash with traditional heavy metal elements to terrific effect.

TRACKLIST

Constant To Death
They Lie
Redemption
Stored In Blood
The Guilty Shepherd
A Voice For The Voiceless
Black Rain
Children Cry Alone
Bloodrush
Down From Above
The Blood Runs Red
Poverty Show
Outro

http://necronomicon-online.de/
https://www.facebook.com/necronomiconofficial/

This review is the property of Iron Mathew, Frenzy Fire, Metal-Roos, and Metal Gods TV. It is strictly prohibited to copy any part of this review, unless you have both of the parties’ permission, or are the band/record label/PR company in question. Failure to adhere to these instructions will be considered as Plagiarism and you will be reported to the appropriate authorities

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