NECRONOMIDOL - DEATHLESS Album Review

At A-to-J, our opinions on NECRONOMIDOL have been fairly controversial in the alt-idol fanbase. While they have a unique concept and style, their production quality up until now has been incredibly weak (defended under the guise of being "black metal", though I've never heard any black metal so lacking in punch or grit). With Necroma's latest release, however, they seem to have stepped it up a bit. Is it enough, though?

Short answer: no. However, this album has some of its own merits. DEATHLESS opens up with what sounds like the start of an unrelentingly sinister metal piece with ​END OF DAYS, but the percussion is completely lacking any sort of punch. The performances are technically good but without a lot of passion. I love the dark vibes and the composition, but it sounds more like a demo than anything. 4.7L sounds a bit better with some neat synths and a great vocal melody, plus the drum machine here actually adds more dynamic than the lackluster drumming in the opener. There's also the previously released single SKULLS IN THE STARS which I love for the most part.

KERES THANATOIO opens up with some powerful lead guitar, and isn't all that poorly mixed either compared to the rest of the tracks. It's easily one of my favorite songs on here. In contrast, the synth-heavy CHUNGKING REDLINE is a cool concept in theory but pretty lifeless in execution. HEXENNNACHT is another mostly forgettable track with a great sense of atmosphere. In fact, atmosphere is what this album does best. NEPENTHE is pretty good for the most part, but the production takes me out of it. The album ends with another personal favorite, ITHAQUA, which is probably the best thing Necroma has done to date. The drums are still really lacking, but overall it's a strong track.

I don't hate this album. I don't necessarily even DISLIKE it; there are redeeming qualities to each song, even the more forgettable ones. Unfortunately I can't forgive the production quality, as groups with much less money exist all over the world who can put a better mix together. Hiding behind the guise of "black metal" doesn't even work here, as most black metal still has more bite, more passion, more raw energy. Not to mention the lack of harsh vocals here, which automatically disqualifies Necroma from even being considered black metal to begin with. Ultimately this is a decent album by a group who has a lot of potential, and who I believe can do much better than this. That said, this is probably Necroma's best effort to date; they're only getting better, and from here I'm sure they'll put out something I love at some point. If you're a fan, you're gonna love this album. You can pick it up on Bandcamp here.

-Justin

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