Nekromantheon - Rise, Vulcan Spectre

Pretty decent retro-thrash that borrows heavily from Slayer, but doesn't hold a candle to anything they released. In fact, this doesn't hold a candle to virtually any thrash album of the '80s. It's pretty decent shredding and the solos are fun, the production is appropriately raw and the aggression level is right where it needs to be... but this exact sound has been done before. An ounce of innovation would have at least given me something to care about; instead, this just makes me want to listen to early Kreator, Overkill, Slayer, etc.

Written by Troy Killjoy on 07.06.2012 at 19:31

Pretty decent retro-thrash that borrows heavily from Slayer, but doesn't hold a candle to anything they released. In fact, this doesn't hold a candle to virtually any thrash album of the '80s. It's pretty decent shredding and the solos are fun, the production is appropriately raw and the aggression level is right where it needs to be... but this exact sound has been done before. An ounce of innovation would have at least given me something to care about; instead, this just makes me want to listen to early Kreator, Overkill, Slayer, etc.

I'll defend this thing to the end dammit. In terms of not holding a candle to bands like Slayer what do you mean, besides the originality issue? On its own merits, irregardless of influence, what is it lacking? Sounds to me like its got just as much of an adrenaline kick, if not more, as those 80's bands put into their efforts. And the songs aren't exactly sloppy. The only thing I can think of is perhaps that they are all very similar and tend to blur together, but still its a pretty short album so I can't really see that as much of an issue personally.

Written by R'Vannith on 08.06.2012 at 16:18
...what is it lacking? (Aside from originality.)

A wow factor.

Written by Troy Killjoy on 09.06.2012 at 01:06

Written by R'Vannith on 08.06.2012 at 16:18
...what is it lacking? (Aside from originality.)

A wow factor.

I'm certainly wowed, but that is more a personal reflection than something inherently lacking in the music isn't it?

Everything I dislike about it is subjective: the weak atmosphere, the bland taste in my mouth from listening to it, the stale riffs... I'm sure people like yourself who like this find plenty of positives where I find negatives. In fact, I'm pretty sure I remember someone in the 2012 recommendations thread saying this was reviewed in a Norwegian newspaper, being labelled as a modern-day masterpiece.

Written by Troy Killjoy on 09.06.2012 at 15:29

Everything I dislike about it is subjective: the weak atmosphere, the bland taste in my mouth from listening to it, the stale riffs... I'm sure people like yourself who like this find plenty of positives where I find negatives. In fact, I'm pretty sure I remember someone in the 2012 recommendations thread saying this was reviewed in a Norwegian newspaper, being labelled as a modern-day masterpiece.

That's fair enough of course, you're going to get people indifferent about it and those who think its awesome, just a matter of taste. I read that too, seems over the top to me. But personally I find this good enough to at least wonder why others would pass it up.

I'd definitely recommend it to fans of revivalist thrash that copies the early Teutonic scene and Slayer. Either those people will like it for being similar or trash it for being too similar. Personally I'd probably give this a 6 or 7 - it's not offensively bad by any means, and while it has all been done before, at least it's more true to the original sound than other revivalist bands like Evile, who basically just come across as a watered down heavy/thrash hybrid version of Metallica.