Necronoclast - Ashes
'Ashes' is Scotland's Necronoclast's fourth album to date. It's a one man black metal band that has ranged from influences to Leviathan, Katatonia, and Draugar; full of depressive melodies drenched in reverb and throaty, unearthly vocals. Mainmain Greg Edwards simply uses a guitar and drum machine to create his effects, and usually they work very well. However, with 'Ashes,' it seems that Necronoclast has somewhat ran out of steam for new material. While many previous albums were full of a mix of depressive black metal with a raw, minimalistic feel and semi-ambient elements, going from raging extremes to slower passages. 'Ashes' tends to feel one sided a times. Yes, the Katatonia and Leviathan elements are still there, but it feels like Necronoclast drew on their heaviest and most aggressive styled music this time around.
Tracks like "Ghostways" are heavily distorted but feature groove and melodies buried in the hissing distortion. It is a seemingly endless flow of guitar and raging vocals, but near the end there is quiet, ambient section for a bit. This is a sign of the old Necronoclast still present. However, throughout the rest of the album, it is a rare thing. "Veil Of Flies" might be the only other track that features any sort of respite in the middle of the track from the sonic chaos of the music, even if it does include the vocals crying in torture. The rest of the tracks are pretty much almost carbon copies of one another with different titles and lyrics. Tracks like "Looking Glass" tend to trudge along at a moderate pace with rhythmic drumming and rangings from rapid tremolo pickings to black rock n' roll riffs to just downright obliterating tracks like "Serpents" which just seem completely in overdrive the entire time.
'Ashes' is by far no departure from Necronoclast's usual style, and there is hardly a 'bad' track on the album as far as musicianship goes. Everything here is hard hitting in the best black metal ways it could be. New fans to this band will probably love this album. However, older fans who have heard Necronoclast ever since their debut may be a little off put at how there isn't as much diversity within 'Ashses' as far as the more ambient and depressive aspects were woven on an album like 'The Plague.' While it is never really a good idea to reinvent an album, it seems like with 'Ashes' Necronoclast found a certai niche, but stayed there rather than slowly expanding out of it in preparation for the next album. The mystical aspect is there, but the music can pretty much be figured out in less than half the album.
Tracks like "Ghostways" are heavily distorted but feature groove and melodies buried in the hissing distortion. It is a seemingly endless flow of guitar and raging vocals, but near the end there is quiet, ambient section for a bit. This is a sign of the old Necronoclast still present. However, throughout the rest of the album, it is a rare thing. "Veil Of Flies" might be the only other track that features any sort of respite in the middle of the track from the sonic chaos of the music, even if it does include the vocals crying in torture. The rest of the tracks are pretty much almost carbon copies of one another with different titles and lyrics. Tracks like "Looking Glass" tend to trudge along at a moderate pace with rhythmic drumming and rangings from rapid tremolo pickings to black rock n' roll riffs to just downright obliterating tracks like "Serpents" which just seem completely in overdrive the entire time.
'Ashes' is by far no departure from Necronoclast's usual style, and there is hardly a 'bad' track on the album as far as musicianship goes. Everything here is hard hitting in the best black metal ways it could be. New fans to this band will probably love this album. However, older fans who have heard Necronoclast ever since their debut may be a little off put at how there isn't as much diversity within 'Ashses' as far as the more ambient and depressive aspects were woven on an album like 'The Plague.' While it is never really a good idea to reinvent an album, it seems like with 'Ashes' Necronoclast found a certai niche, but stayed there rather than slowly expanding out of it in preparation for the next album. The mystical aspect is there, but the music can pretty much be figured out in less than half the album.
- Ghostways
- Veil Of Flies
- Kajicnické Ðaty
- Serpents
- Looking Glass
- Ashes
- Ravenous
Moribund Cult Records
Reviewer: Colin McNamara
Feb 11, 2011
Feb 11, 2011
Next review:
Muerte Por Mil Cortes - El Nombre Del Panico
Share this:
