Band:	Netherion
Album:	Sphere Of Terror
Style:	Death metal
Release date:	June 28, 2012
Guest review by:	Tristus Scriptor

01. Into the Decay
02. Chains of Slavery
03. Words Of Perdition
04. Mutilate the Ignorance
05. Sphere of Terror
06. Breeding Paralysis
07. Catastrophic Reality
08. Dogmatic Separation
09. New Dimension
10. Legion Of Redemption
11. Kill with Hate

It's safe to say that these superbly creative and shadowy Syrians are free of the trend-curse. This album listens like a true piece of art, with no obvious overly-impressionable tendencies lurking within the bands songwriting whatsoever. Let's not confuse what I am saying here with lack of influence; quite the contrary. I hear a lot of great references to past death metal glories - Gorefest, Houde-fronted Kataklysm, Entombed, Suffocation...y'know, the real glory days. It is very fresh, despite the nostalgic vibe.

The riffs are extremely infectious, melodic, and sinister. This is the stuff of a talented death metal powerhouse, injecting purposeful sweet-spots into their morbid sound without lessening ANY of their imposing nature. This is not melodic death metal. It is death metal. The melodies don't cause one to envision lighter scenes. One of the best parts of Sphere Of Terror is the cohesive diversity. No two songs mimic the other's formula, yet the band's sound is unmistakably solidified as its own.

While I do foresee negative criticism toward the vocalist for his unusually 90s techniques and lack of conformist tones (referring to the aforementioned lack of copycat tendencies), I believe these are the type of vocals that extreme metal has been sorely lacking in today's cookie-cutter crops. I hear a very early Gorefest invocation, as well as some of the strained mid-to-higher registers of The Red In The Sky Is Ours-era At The Gates. These nostalgic narrations are so welcome over the tasteful usage of different extremes that the drums exemplify. We have a band here that knows how to be simple in sparse moments, only to completely spazz where the darkness calls for it. Special.

This release is not without its flaws, which are not a problem, but a characteristic. Subjectively, I'd have either saved the female guest-vocals for later in the track listing, or left them out entirely. Also, a bit of the calm/chaotic dynamics seem a little abrupt; but that could be considered a charm. However, flaws are not something I actually look to criticize, opting only to do so if the issue is way too nagging. There is by far more good than iffy.

Keep your eyes and ears on these guys. This is some impressive sonic bludgeoning.