Neolith - I Am the Way

NEOLITH - I Am the Way (MYTHRONE Productions CD 2019)

This is only fifth Neolith's full length album in their nearly 30 years long existence, but if I can be honest with you, I've never paid much attention to the music of this band. I’ve never liked their early recordings, with that boring doom / death metal so typical for the Polish scene of mid to late 90's, which they played then. Also, I'm not a fan of their later album "Individual Infernal Idimmu", from 2010. So, forgive me my scepticism for Neolith's new album "I Am the Way". The only reason why I actually wanted to hear it was a song from the split 7" with Betrayer "Of the Angel and His Orison", which showed me a band whose music was miles away from what they sounded like in their early years. You couldn’t even compare them anymore, so different they sound. And I liked this song a lot, with its aggression, fast pace and death / black metal sound. I hoped to hear something in the same vein here... and I'm not disappointed. 

This new album sounds very good. If I had any complain, then the only one I can think of is my hope to hear a bit faster and more straight forward music. It's not even a complain, but rather that’s what I hoped to hear. But the music on “I Am the Way” is much more diverse, and the majority of it is mid paced at most, with some occasional faster parts. After a while I came to the conclusion that it's not bad at all and in exchange the music becomes more atmospheric and darker. Stylistically it's sort of more modern sounding (in contrast to all that old school stuff I listen to) death metal, with hints of black metal. Comparisons? Arghh, who cares for them. The music is very tight, very much focused on vicious and aggressive guitar riffage, with no interference of keyboards whatsoever, what definitely is good news for me. There's plenty of variety in the sound, from straight forward, malicious stuff to more melodic patterns - but the result is interesting and enjoyable, with very good songs all over the album, with my favourites like “Wanderer Who Bestows” or “Ask and Thou Shalt Receive”. 

Good album then, positive surprise for me. It means I need to get their previous album "Izi.Im.Kurnu-Ki" also and I definitely will one day. 

Standout tracks: “Wanderer Who Bestows”, “Ask and Thou Shalt Receive”, “Irarazakku” 

Verdict: 70/100