NECROMANTIA “The sound of Lucifer storming heaven” Review
Писать ревьюхи на подобные релизы весьма сомнительное и неуверенное занятие. При всём уважении к данному имени, несмотря на заслуженный пафос из уст Magus’a я не мог пройти мимо такого события. Свершилось великое создание нового монумента чёрной красивой музыки от богов сформировавших базис стиля. Оркестровое и театральное послание королей находящихся более двух десятков лет и ни разу не предавших своих начальных постулатов. Пытаться повторить подобное не удастся ни кому, ибо эта музыка эксклюзивна и производится только NECROMANTIA. ОНИ профессора сцены это можно признать однозначно. Семь лет пришлось ждать опуса греков, в котором отразилась сила и ненависть, старый дух и исторический подход, классическая музыка и авангард и всё это в BLACK METAL Вино, умная литература и обязательно NECROMANIA, иногда хочется it такого…
NECROMANTIA “The sound of Lucifer storming heaven” CD 2007 (ГРЕЦИЯ)
NECROMANTIA “The sound of Lucifer storming heaven” CD 2007 (ГРЕЦИЯ)
1. Sound of Lucifer Storming Heaven
2. Order of the Black Sphinx
3. For the Elder Magi: I-Eibon the Necromancer
4. Architecture of Exquisite Madness
5. Knights of the Black and White Eagle
6. The Invisible Empire
7. Hellseher
8. Les Litanies de Satan, Act II: From Hell
NOCTURNAL VOMIT Evil conspiracy
MENTALLY DEFILED The thrash brigade
BENEFECATOR DECEASE Massive Spreads Of Death
CRUCIFIER Cursed cross
EREVOS Adou katavasis
Posted on September 4, 2011, in 2007, CD and tagged Black Metal, Dark Metal, Death Metal, Greece. Bookmark the permalink. 11 Comments.
Если в Греции есть все, то уж точно имеются культовые оплоты древнего зла, в том числе и в тяжелой музыке. Дуэт зловредных демонопоклонников, по совместительству вампиров The Magus и Baron Blood действительно играют уже очень давно, уже двадцать лет, за которые, не злоупотребляя частотой релизов, они добрались еще только до четвертого альбома. Но важнейшая часть греческой команды (да и греческой музыки, зачастую) – яркая узнаваемость, собственный почерк – в полной мере сохраняется у Necromantia весь свой жизненный путь. Новый альбом не выделяется из общей концепции группы, что просто прекрасно, ибо такой Necromantia стоит дорожить.
Интересно, что именно такой, кажется несовершенный звук, созданный благодаря использованию вместо ритм гитар восьмиструнного баса, характеризующийся мягким низким звучанием с пластиковым звенящим призвуком, продолжает создавать величественную, темную и мистическую атмосферу, только подчеркиваемую простым и эффектным оккультным оформлением диска. По структуре музыка немного добавила в хаотичности ощутимой эмоционально, нежели по сменам ритмических рисунков или чего-то еще, но баланс между тревожными простыми риффами, одновременно проявляющимися мелодичной частью и изысканными, аристократичными клавишами – оркестровками голубой крови – соблюден по-прежнему убедительно.
Возможно, группе уже не хватает тонкой яркости, ощущавшейся в новизне раннего материала, блеснувшего в свое время на фоне подъема black metal в целом, но удовольствие от напыщенных и хрупких композиций, в которых только четкие барабаны не склонны к развеиванию с дымом курящихся свечей, при прослушивании этого диска можно получить полное и неподдельное. Куски кускам не ровня: где-то можно сощуриться, концентрируясь на звучащей песне – весьма не изобретательно жужжащая гитарами “Architecture Of Exquisite Madness”, а в другом месте, на помпезном третьем треке, или великолепной заключительной вещи, музыка подхватывает сама, нагнетая атмосферу и красочные картины воображения. Местами прорезается примитивный драйв звенящих низами гитар на собравшихся кучкой, подряд “The Invisible Empire” и “Knights Of The Black And White Eagle” отметившейся также басовым соло. Одна композиция без остатка растворяется в старом материале, неотличимая от классики, но не в состоянии с ней поспорить, а оттого незаметная: “HellSeher”. А я в свою очередь, безусловно, доволен продолжением банкета, погруженным в магическую тьму, пропитанным злом, и рекомендую данную работу всем заинтересованным лицам как одну из характерологических греческих групп.
http://www.metallibrary.ru/articles/reviews/albums/t/necromantia.07_the_sound_of_lucifer_storming_heaven.html
When I listened to the first songs of “The Sound Of Lucifer Storming Heaven” I can tell you that I was a bit scared… This introduction where you can hear some sounds of battle is, let’s be honest, a fucking mess… But I tried to listen to the whole album and I finally had a good surprise. “The Sound Of Lucifer Storming Heaven” is a great album of Black Metal, not commercial, really violent and aggressive and with a lot of good ideas. This album is the kind of release which can be for the fans of “true” Black Metal like for the people who love to listen to some stuff a bit easier of access.
With “The Sound Of Lucifer Storming Heaven”, you’ll be in front of some really good ambiances. The album is dark and all the tracks are real deep songs of Black Metal. In general we have also some battlefield sounds on the songs and it’s really good. The voice of the singer is really tortured and sometime I even though that someone was skinning a pig or something like that. “The Sound Of Lucifer Storming Heaven” is violent and extremely aggressive, don’t believe that you’ll be in front of some kind of Cradle Of Filth, this is a real violent Black Metal but despite its average production the songs are complex and deep in the end. Also, we have cellos on some tracks, don’t believe that it’s a new kind of Symphonic Black Metaln, this is just a matter of ambiances one more time and of course the cello is the perfect instrument to create a dark and sad atmosphere.
“The Sound Of Lucifer Storming Heaven” suffers of a really average production but on a side, it’s not really disturbing because it sounds like the old Black Metal productions and it can be ok if you like such kind of albums. The two guys of Necromantia are good musicians and since that both are bassist, you’ll find some good bass soli here. This is solid and I don’t have anything to add, the “war” Black Metal of Necromentia is original.
“The Sound Of Lucifer Storming Heaven” is a good surprise. As I said at the beginning of this review, this is a good mix of accessible Black Metal (not because it’s easy but just because it’s well done and with good melodies) and some good brutal Black. I highly recommend to you this release be sure that you’ll not be disappointed. Necromantia is a good band and let’s hope that they will follow this way. They knew how to be original this time, let’s believe that they will be able to confirm all these good words in the future.
http://www.metalstorm.net/pub/review.php?review_id=5089
Sir Blastalot: It took five years to release the eleventh official album by the Greek band Necromantia. It was in 1989 that this band was formed by The Magus and Makis. The peculiar characteristic of this band is the fact that they do not use normal guitars but instead of that they use two bass guitars. Now I have to say that I never really listened to Necromantia’s music, but I have to say that is really a style you either love or hate.
The relatively melodic music of this band is quite simplistic and it reminds me of Agatus from time to time. I just miss a big, fat guitar sound. I have never been a fan of this band, but besides that I think this is just mediocre music. The glory days of this band are clearly over. They clearly want to keep their underground status, but that does not mean that you should stick to the 80s sound. Sorry, I am not really impressed by this release. Fans of Agatus, Alastor and stuff like that might like this.
http://www.lordsofmetal.nl/showreview.php?id=10731&lang=en
Barely worth the seven year wait
Necromantia, who hail from Greece, were the Mediterranean’s answer to the Scandinavian second wave of black metal back in the early 90’s, but for me they have always been more of an interesting concept than an interesting band. Their main hook is that there are no guitarists, but rather there are two bass players instead. If nothing else this makes the band stand out from the rest of the black metal crowd but this in and of itself doesn’t necessarily guarantee that anything good will come of it.
I hadn’t had any exposure to the band since around 1995 when I did some random tape trading and ended up with a copy of their Scarlet Evil Witching Black album. I was quite interested to hear what the band was doing these days.
The first thing I noticed when the first few seconds of the album flowed from the speakers was the ridiculously bad production. I’m no prude when it comes to sub standard black metal production, in fact I actually quite like it, but this is seriously taking the piss. I can only imagine that the album sounds exactly the way the band intended or they wouldn’t have released it in the first place. With that assumption made the next logical assumption is that they chose to make the album sound this way to sound as ‘pure’, or ‘kvlt’, as they could. Sure, I get it, you’ve got an image to uphold, no problem, but seriously, you can sound old school and evil and still manage to give the album some balls as well. It honestly sounds like the album was recorded with a single microphone running into a boom box. Listen to the laughable battle sounds on the opening track as a prime example.
Though the production of an album is important, the underlying material is what really counts and unfortunately it is a mixed bag. The album is extremely top heavy with the best material clearly occupying the opening half of the disc with the other half being noticeably weaker and somewhat directionless.
The mixing of avant-garde elements with the band’s individual blasting black metal style is very hit and miss. The third and fourth tracks for example are actually quite enjoyable, managing to strike a balance between these elements rather well, whilst the next few tracks sound forced and seem to lack direction and inspiration. With seven years separating this and their previous album, IV: Malice, I would have expected a much more polished and accomplished effort than the one that is on display.
It is rather sad to see a band who were seen as pioneers during the second wave of black metal be reduced to releasing such a disappointing album. Though there are moments of quality, the negative points simply outweigh the positive.
According to the promotional material that accompanied this promo, The Sound of Lucifer Storming Heaven is a fist in the face of contemporary black metal. I would submit that rather than being a fist to the face, The Sound of Lucifer Storming Heaven is better likened to a slightly annoying pinch of the proboscis.
Added: May 20th 2008 Reviewer: Michael O’Brien
http://www.themetalforge.com/modules.php?name=Reviews&rop=showcontent&id=1687
I was sure that they would return in triumph carrying an album like this. After eighteen years in their own strange and occult musical journey the Greek black metallers are back giving their latest album as an answer to all those that want them to be frozen in time or something. For those who already know the sound of NECROMANTIA-one of the most important Black Metal bands of our times- things will be familiar in this album. The majestic atmosphere is still here enforced by little symphonic and pomp touches here and there, the bass driven sound that creates aggressive and brutal sonic landscapes is still their trademark and the vocals of the Demon that is still trapped inside Magus are still carrying the sound of hell. A very specific apocalyptic vision is once more created using black metal as the main, one and Only way. This is the sound of evil that already celebrates its triumph upon this world, the fact is that there are only a few that has understand his fact. For those now that are not aware of the band I would propose to them to step back in all their past discography together this album only to discover a band that has se its own standards and sound in Black Metal without copying anyone and anything while having their man point is still focused in Metal (yes they are preferring to cover Manowar and Omen –check past releases- instead of trying to find another pop melody to become the next goth-black heroes like many other “black Metal” bands do). S do not waste your time just dg in them. Back to their current new album I can for sure point that it is one of their best releases carrying the NECROMANTIA spirit to a new age: the age of evil.
Reviewer: Chris Papadakis
http://www.metal-invader.com/db/reviews-4516.html
Die Griechen von NECROMANTIA kann man sicherlich mit Fug und Recht als Urgestein des Black Metals bezeichnen, immerhin können die Herren auf mittlerweile 18 Jahre des Musizierens zurückblicken. Dennoch hat es die Band irgendwie nie ganz nach oben geschafft, trotz diverser Splits, EPs und mit vorliegendem Werk vier Alben. Kein Wunder, muss ich sagen, wenn ich mir “The Sound of Lucifer storming Heaven“ anhöre.
Grund numero uno dafür ist, dass die Band irgendwie zwischen allen Stühlen sitzt. Mal bedient man sich des traditionellen Schwarzstahls, darauf folgen Klänge, die auch einem (schlechten) Soundtrack entstammen könnten und keine zwei Sekunden später treffen rockige Riffs auf thrashiges Drumming. Allerdings entspringt dem Ganzen dann kein homogenes Soundgemisch, sondern einfach ein Album, welches zusammengewürfelt und planlos wirkt. Die Wechsel sind einfach nicht flüssig, sondern wirken erzwungen avantgardistisch und besonders die symphonischen Abschnitte klingen in ihrer süßlich-kitschigen Art schon fast peinlich.
Was der Scheibe weitere Abzüge beschert, ist der mehr als dünne, lasche und viel zu leise Sound. So musste ich meine Boxen erst einmal richtig aufdrehen, um überhaupt etwas von der Scheibe wahrzunehmen. Auch hier bietet das Duo weder Fleisch noch Fisch, denn für die melodischen Passagen ist der Sound nicht wuchtig genug, für die primitiven Songteile fehlt wiederum das Rohe und Brutale.
Schlussendlich wurde hier ein Album veröffentlicht, welches auf mich einfach nur konfus, chaotisch und verwirrt wirkt und zu keiner Sekunde und auch nach dem x-ten Durchlauf zünden will. Allein wenn ich an die grausigen Keyboards denke, läuft es mir wieder kalt den Rücken runter, daher schnell weg mit diesem Scheibchen!
http://www.metal.de/index.php?option=com_articles&view=article&id=9207
by: Jackie Smit (4 out of 10)
Before even digging into the meat and potatoes of Necromantia’s latest, could someone possibly riddle me this: what the fuck is going on with this record’s sound? I’m as big a fan of primitive production as the next guy, but this takes the piss; just because a band was borne of the tape-trading scene, doesn’t necessarily mean that they need to make their music sound akin to the by-product of at least a dozen TDK-90 transfers. Musically, _TSoLSH_ is spectacularly flawed as well. Electing to blend avant-garde symphonic sequences with blasting black metal, songs like “Order of the Black Sphinx” and “The Invisible Empire” sound laboured and confused, lacking either the intensity or atmosphere to make up for the fact that the riffs sound thoroughly recycled. If this was truly meant to be a “fist in the face of society”, Necromantia have fair bit of creative bulking up to do before they’re likely to be anything more than a mild irritation.
http://www.chroniclesofchaos.com/reviews/albums/2-5105_necromantia_the_sound_of_lucifer_storming_heaven.aspx
Seven years have passed since the third album, IV: Malice, for these blacksters from Greece that are well-known for their unique sound of the bass in their recordings and for the ‘Satan’ existence in their unholy sounds. All these elements are here, too, plus a more mature perspicuity upon their music that has its positive and negatives points.
For those that are not aware of this name, we must say that NECROMANTIA were into the first bands of the 2nd wave of Black Metal with perfect albums in their back-catalogue that are ‘must’ for the friends of the genre. From the split release with VARATHRON ’till the ultra-satanic Crossing The Fiery Path and the epicus Scarlet Evil Witching Black, both records were released under the label of Osmose Productions that had collected the elite of Black Metal back then. The third step was under Magus’ label and now the German Dockyard 1 releases this one.
The beginning has the self-titled track inviting us and urging us to wield the swords or any other weapons against the Christian world. NECROMANTIA are back and ready for attack. This song mainly works as intro, clashes are everywhere and somewhere lurks a Wagner theme. The following two songs are classic NECROMANTIA stuff, close to Scarlet Evil Witching Black, if I had to say one album for comparison. I believe the best moment in Order Of The Sphinx is the theme with the clean vocals while the other has a remarkable work with the keys parts. Yes, this is not a surprise, Magus is an expert with the keys use: I mean, I could easily place him next to Mirai of SIGH, mainly for the inspired use of them. In this song you will hear strange themes; some of them reminded me of the soundtrack of the Necromantik movie and others classical composers. Both songs are good, but to tell you the truth I would like something better, sometimes I’m getting tired.
The best one is coming next and its name is Architecture Of Exquisite Madness. This is THE song. Starting as a storm with keys making it more intense, the vocals are perfect with laughing from a paranoid mind. Pure darkness and madness. Knights Of The Black And White Eagle is the most ‘epic’ one and very close to ‘classic’ Heavy Metal. From MANOWAR to OMEN, or even AXEHAMMER! The bass solo is the absolute highlight here.
The album continues with more good songs like The Invisible Empire or HellSeher, that give us the impression that the band tries to make different tracks with their own character inside. The surprise is the reincarnation of Les Litanies De Satan with the second part here. Maybe it’s not as devil-ish as the old one but the clean vocals again are doing their job well plus a riff is the same. It’s not based on Baudelaire’s poem but on Huysmans (a French poet influenced by Baudelaire, probably close to pessimism and naturalism).
I expected something better, but (on the other hand) I’m thinking that it’s impossible for NECROMANTIA to unleash something to burn me in hell’s fires because I’m 14 years older since I heard them for the first time. Probably, if I would reverse the time and the albums this one would terrorize me more. Anyway, such questions don’t have any meaning: The Sound Of Lucifer Storming Heaven is good and different from the majority of the Metal scene. If you don’t know them, you must do something immediately.
http://www.metal-temple.com/site/catalogues/entry/reviews/cd_3/n_2/necromantia_-_the_sound.htm
It was many years ago I heard of Necromantia for the first time. I bought a sampler which included one of their songs. Back then I wasn’t very impressed. The song was quite nice but the production wasn’t that good. And that was also the only song I knew by this band.
Now, many years later The Sound Of Lucifer Storming Heaven fell on my doormat.
The Sound Of Lucifer Storming Heaven… I was very curious how that would sound like. The band tried to make it clear with their first song with the same title as the album. Raging black metal with a lot of battle scene samples. I really liked the song, some neat guitar riffs and some nice orchestral arrangements combined with hateful voiced vocals. But on the other hand there is the production, which sounds very thin, it really misses dynamics. A pity, but after a while when I’d heard the album several times I got used to it.
All the compositions on the album are quite good. There is a lot of variety. Although the band uses some classical arrangements like some of the more well-known bands like Dimmu Borgir it doesn’t sound commercial. Necromantia knows where these parts would fit and when it would be overkill. They found the right balance to keep their music underground and to sound like no other band.
Although I got used to the production I still think it is a pity, it could have sounded so much better. Fortunately Necromantia’s compositions are good enough to make this album interesting enough to buy.
http://www.metalrage.com/reviews/2090/necromantia-the-sound-of-lucifer-storming-heaven.html
Pingback: SABBAT Live in Thailan Demonslaught « Pure Die Hard Metal Fanzine
Pingback: NOCTURNAL VOMIT Pandemonic Outburst « Pure Die Hard Metal Fanzine