Obliteration - Nekropsalms (DUPLICATE Records - LP 2010)
Norway and death metal hardly ever have been a pair. Funnily, all the best Norwegian death metal records were recorded by black metal bands - Darkthrone's "Soulside Journey", Gehenna's "Adimiron Black" and "Murder", Thou Shalt Suffer - "Into the Woods of Belial"... And of course Old Funeral, which will always be my favourite death metal crew from Norway. But now the youth attacks and Obliteration is their name. Discovered by Darkthrone's members who putted the debut "Perpetual Decay" on their Tyrant Syndicate Records, Obliteration quickly got recognized. Personally I don't think their debut was anything special, but this, "Nekropsalms", the second LP, is something I can definitely be more than happy with.
First it's the smell of putrid and cadaver that surrounds this record, which caught my attention. Well, the music is damn raw, dirty, fuckin sick and rotten death metal I expected and those lads have showed their worship for Darkthrone, Autopsy and Mantas / Death in a great way. Already the first track, "Ingesting Death", with this great opening riff, show that there won't be any mercy and is a pure devastation, which quickly fastens and the chaos overwhelms everything. "Catacombs of Horror" is nothing more or less, but a great tribute to Autopsy, raw and slow, but so heavy and brutal that it's beautiful. I especially like the slow riffs and some bass parts, as well as morbid vokills, which really are awfully sick and are like vomits. Sindre Solem putted some great vocals and in "The Spawn of a Dying Kind" he really putted great effort, this is also one of the best tracks here. Starting with sinister melody it crawls slowly like the dead walking out of its tomb. These are eight minutes of slow torture, without a second of faster playing, it's just doomy death metal and surely Autopsy would be proud hearing this shit. In many parts of this album think also about Asphyx’ “Embrace the Death” LP!
Usually it happens that when there's a slow song, then the next one should be faster and "Nekropsalms Evoke the Frozen Age" is exactly like that. Of course it's not fast in the Krisiun way, but in the old school way, so it's energetic, at parts it sounds almost like punk, but again with some hints of doom here and there. And well, it would be a disgrace if I didn't mention the name Darkthrone anywhere here. Believe me or not, but many riffs from "Nekropsalms" do have many similarities to some old Darkthrone riffs from the "A Blaze In the Northern Sky" or "Goatlord" LPs, not only in this song I just mentioned. The opening part of "Ingesting Death" or the main riff and vocals from "Catacombs of Horror" (with some Celtic Frost vibe, what reminds me the "Panzerfaust" album) are nothing more or less, but purely Darkthrone influenced pieces.
The vinyl version also includes a bonus 7"EP, with two extra songs on it - what a killer idea, one similar to Massacre's "From Beyond"! It was necessary to buy vinyl anyway, as such music sounds best in this format, but an extra 7" with exclusive songs only makes it more worthy. First is “Dawn of the Deluge” and it’s one of the best tracks of this band! It’s of course demonically slow, old school to the bone, maybe slightly more melodic, but so fuckin great that I wonder why this song hasn’t been putted also on a CD. Anyway, I don’t care, I’ve got LP and can listen to it and trust me, this is great song. And side B of the EP has Dr Shrinker’s “Dead by Dawn” cover, hmm I don’t remember the original now, but it really sounds great, fast and with killer, morbid riffs!
So, I definitely recommend getting vinyl for those, who're interested in Obliteration. The only fault of this album is the awfully colorful cover - I have no idea what's going on in that picture - which is a big contrast to the rest of the layout, which is a basic black / white, simple design, with only the gothic letters' text of song titles, all the info about the recording, thanx list and a band photo. Sadly there are no lyrics, but only short descriptions for each track, like "Catacombs of Horror" (Resurrected, they rise from their tombs. Graves of the forgotten dead) or "Ingesting Death" (Morbid thoughts of human meat. Find some whore, eat her raw). How nice, but I wish to read them all.
Well, I do realize that "Nekropsalms" won't be liked by everyone. Definitely this is an album, which will only catch the attention of die hard death metal maniacs. It's just too filthy and obscure to the average metal fan, the production is too raw and the riffs not technical (sick!) enough... But if you look for a great companion to "Macabre Eternal", then I cannot think of any better albums that this one. For me actually this is even better than the post reunion Autopsy, so... Die, but die hard!
Best tracks: “Dawn of the Deluge”, "The Spawn of a Dying Kind", "Ingesting Death"
Final rate: 85 / 100
Norway and death metal hardly ever have been a pair. Funnily, all the best Norwegian death metal records were recorded by black metal bands - Darkthrone's "Soulside Journey", Gehenna's "Adimiron Black" and "Murder", Thou Shalt Suffer - "Into the Woods of Belial"... And of course Old Funeral, which will always be my favourite death metal crew from Norway. But now the youth attacks and Obliteration is their name. Discovered by Darkthrone's members who putted the debut "Perpetual Decay" on their Tyrant Syndicate Records, Obliteration quickly got recognized. Personally I don't think their debut was anything special, but this, "Nekropsalms", the second LP, is something I can definitely be more than happy with.
First it's the smell of putrid and cadaver that surrounds this record, which caught my attention. Well, the music is damn raw, dirty, fuckin sick and rotten death metal I expected and those lads have showed their worship for Darkthrone, Autopsy and Mantas / Death in a great way. Already the first track, "Ingesting Death", with this great opening riff, show that there won't be any mercy and is a pure devastation, which quickly fastens and the chaos overwhelms everything. "Catacombs of Horror" is nothing more or less, but a great tribute to Autopsy, raw and slow, but so heavy and brutal that it's beautiful. I especially like the slow riffs and some bass parts, as well as morbid vokills, which really are awfully sick and are like vomits. Sindre Solem putted some great vocals and in "The Spawn of a Dying Kind" he really putted great effort, this is also one of the best tracks here. Starting with sinister melody it crawls slowly like the dead walking out of its tomb. These are eight minutes of slow torture, without a second of faster playing, it's just doomy death metal and surely Autopsy would be proud hearing this shit. In many parts of this album think also about Asphyx’ “Embrace the Death” LP!
Usually it happens that when there's a slow song, then the next one should be faster and "Nekropsalms Evoke the Frozen Age" is exactly like that. Of course it's not fast in the Krisiun way, but in the old school way, so it's energetic, at parts it sounds almost like punk, but again with some hints of doom here and there. And well, it would be a disgrace if I didn't mention the name Darkthrone anywhere here. Believe me or not, but many riffs from "Nekropsalms" do have many similarities to some old Darkthrone riffs from the "A Blaze In the Northern Sky" or "Goatlord" LPs, not only in this song I just mentioned. The opening part of "Ingesting Death" or the main riff and vocals from "Catacombs of Horror" (with some Celtic Frost vibe, what reminds me the "Panzerfaust" album) are nothing more or less, but purely Darkthrone influenced pieces.
The vinyl version also includes a bonus 7"EP, with two extra songs on it - what a killer idea, one similar to Massacre's "From Beyond"! It was necessary to buy vinyl anyway, as such music sounds best in this format, but an extra 7" with exclusive songs only makes it more worthy. First is “Dawn of the Deluge” and it’s one of the best tracks of this band! It’s of course demonically slow, old school to the bone, maybe slightly more melodic, but so fuckin great that I wonder why this song hasn’t been putted also on a CD. Anyway, I don’t care, I’ve got LP and can listen to it and trust me, this is great song. And side B of the EP has Dr Shrinker’s “Dead by Dawn” cover, hmm I don’t remember the original now, but it really sounds great, fast and with killer, morbid riffs!
So, I definitely recommend getting vinyl for those, who're interested in Obliteration. The only fault of this album is the awfully colorful cover - I have no idea what's going on in that picture - which is a big contrast to the rest of the layout, which is a basic black / white, simple design, with only the gothic letters' text of song titles, all the info about the recording, thanx list and a band photo. Sadly there are no lyrics, but only short descriptions for each track, like "Catacombs of Horror" (Resurrected, they rise from their tombs. Graves of the forgotten dead) or "Ingesting Death" (Morbid thoughts of human meat. Find some whore, eat her raw). How nice, but I wish to read them all.
Well, I do realize that "Nekropsalms" won't be liked by everyone. Definitely this is an album, which will only catch the attention of die hard death metal maniacs. It's just too filthy and obscure to the average metal fan, the production is too raw and the riffs not technical (sick!) enough... But if you look for a great companion to "Macabre Eternal", then I cannot think of any better albums that this one. For me actually this is even better than the post reunion Autopsy, so... Die, but die hard!
Best tracks: “Dawn of the Deluge”, "The Spawn of a Dying Kind", "Ingesting Death"
Final rate: 85 / 100
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