NECROPHAGIA (The Divine Art Of Torture) LP/CD
After five years the US-splatterfreaks are back with the next skullcrushing album, but a lot has changed. Not from their music, although I miss the slow and doomy elements of the before released album "Holocausto De La Morte". But it's still an overwhelming and brutal mixture of Death and Thrash, with a few added Black Metal parts. Killjoys extreme sick vocals are still outstanding and there's no one around today, who sounds like him. But he's the only member of the old line-up, after Phil Anselmo's departure. Maybe that's one of the reasons why NECROPHAGIA have lost the slow parts, but I'm not really sure. The new members are totally unknown to me, except of Mirai Kawashima who plays normally in Japanese Avant Black Metal group Sigh, and here he's also responsible for the intense soundscapes, which are giving the complete album a soundtrack-like atmosphere and reminds me to all the fine morbid Splatter-flicks of the 70's and 80's, with all their bizarre psycho-sounds.
The vibe of the sound is very dark and sinister, and the riffs are pulverizing everything, that stands in their way. Together with the preeminent and massive crunchy production NECROPHAGIA are still belonging to the more outstanding bands of this genre. There's no real filler on this album, and the band knows to vary the tempo in an impressive way. No matter if the songs are fast, mid-tempo or slow everything is on top. If you're a fan of intense and extreme Metal check out the new NECROPHAGIA! "The Divine Art Of Torture" has been released on the US-label Season Of Mist, and visit the highly informative NECROPHAGIA website. Fulci lives! Gore forever!
(KK)