February has come and gone and after obstructing vicissitudes and libations-induced impediments, we’ve finally arrived at that time: The Record(s) o’ the Month for February 2024. Praise be!
Necrowretch
Necrowretch – Swords of Dajjal Review
“It’s almost four years since I reviewed French blackened death outfit Necrowretch’s fourth record, The Ones from Hell, a record I enjoyed quite a bit. Harsh, claustrophobic death metal with a nasty blackened edge, it was almost sludgy in its sound at times. I had a few minor quibbles about the songwriting and pacing of the record, and a bigger gripe with the production, but it remained a very good record. The band regrouped and began working on the follow-up, Swords of Dajjal, which was three years in the making. Having swept up a new drummer and bassist along the way, was it time well spent?” Burning swords of religion and rage.
Burning Darkness – Dödens Makt Review
“Swedish five-piece Burning Darkness has been kicking around since 1999, going through various periods of inactivity and releasing a number of demos. It was not until 2017, however, that a debut full-length record finally appeared, the self-released The Angel of Light. That raw chunk of melodic black metal sported heavy dollops of both death (“Demonic Bloodlines”) and heavy metal (“Crystallised Curse”), and was enough, it seems, to secure Burning Darkness a deal with Non Serviam Records. Now, the band returns with its sophomore effort, Dödens Makt.” Burning leather and rubber.
Necrowretch – The Ones from Hell Review
“I tend to steer clear of death metal as a genre. There are two principal reasons for this. First, I don’t really like death metal – the unrelenting nature of the music, coupled with the dying frog vocals, just doesn’t do it for me. Second – and as a function of the first – I don’t know much about it. But, if you stick a ‘blackened’ tag in front of ‘death metal,’ shit, I guess I’ll give it a go. So, French stalwarts Necrowretch, I hope you feel suitably honored by the amateur treatment your fourth full-length, The Ones from Hell, is about to receive.” Death for dummies.
Wound – Inhale the Void Review
“Germanic Wound punt their cruddy, punky and nasty school of death metal as falling somewhere between that of forbearers of the Gothenburg death metal sound At The Gates, old-school death metallers Necrowretch and Wolfbrigade (previously Wolfpack) who combine Swedish hardcore punk and death metal. I’m hazarding a guess that’s why they were added to F.D.A Rekotz deathstable, home to one of Steel Druhm’s big picks from 2012, Blood Mortized. Inhale the Void follows on a little over a year after the release of their demo Confess to Filth and it pretty much negates the need to hunt down this earlier release as 4 of the 6 tracks making up the demo are nicely bundled up in this debut album. All rather convenient and considerate of them to do that!” Madam X tackles some death metal that doesn’t sound like Septicflesh because you demanded it!
