Band:	Necronomicon
Album:	The Final Chapter
Style:	Thrash metal
Release date:	March 2021

01. I Am The Violence
02. The Final Chapter
03. Wall Of Pain
04. Purgatory
05. Burning The Fury
06. Spilling Blood
07. Selling Nightmares
08. World On Fire
09. The Devil's Tears (Tribute To Anne Clark)
10. The Unnamed
11. Me Against You
12. Stormreaper

Thrash metal is surprising us pleasantly this year with some very good releases from young or younger bands. Necronomicon is a name that dates back to the '80s but The Final Chapter is full of youthful energy and great tunes.

Originating from Germany, the band is now an international one, with the recruitment of Canadian drummer Rik Charron (ex-Exciter) and of American lead guitarist Glen Shannon. Freddy is still the heart and soul of the band, the only original member remaining and the one responsible for the songwriting, but the new blood seems to have brought so much energy and life to the band. 'Life' may sound ironic since the album is called The Final Chapter and is thematically very focused on death, but it is still very true. It comes after the unfortunate passing of both Freddy's parents due to Covid-19, and in all fairness I have no idea how someone can cope with something like that and still release music so soon after such a personal tragedy. I can only guess that it is an outlet of some sort. What I can say for sure is that this album is a truly commendable effort, especially given the circumstances it was created under and the fact that the band is approaching its 40th anniversary.

The Final Chapter does lean heavily on the melodic side of thrash but without losing in aggression. The lead guitar is omnipresent with stunning licks and fantastic solos all around, while the groove of this thing is incredibly addictive. "Purgatory" is almost danceable, "World On Fire" ( ) rides a power metal firestorm, "The Unnamed" is a hard rocker on steroids, and the aptly named "The Devil's Tears (Tribute To Anne Clarke)" has an opening riff pattern reminiscing of "Our Darkness" (one of my favourite songs of all time) by Anne Clarke. Another point of note is that the Iron Maiden spirit is very much hovering over this album (just check out "Spilling Blood") so if you are a Maiden fan and a thrash fan at the same time, you will most certainly love it. Lying on the more aggressive end of the spectrum, tracks like "I Am The Violence" and "Me Against You" showcase a more hostile edge, while the closer "The Stormreaper" is the dark, epic, and powerful banger that this record deserves.

What I often find with thrash metal is that albums become tired quickly after a few listens and even during the first listen, with the songs being repetitive and lacking hooks. The Final Chapter is chock full of hooks and gets better as it progresses. Unlike the majority of thrash albums that squeeze their best content in the first two or three tracks, this one really takes off when "Purgatory" starts and does not let up after that. The stellar lead guitar work, the on-point production, and the fact that its content is strong throughout makes me hit 'replay' the moment it finishes and - as big a thrash metal fan as I am - this happens to me more and more rarely lately.

Physical | Digital

"How far they've fallen
Dancing in the ruins
Of Purgatory"