### Necrophobic: Death to all

#### 15/05/09 || Lord K Philipson

Expect nothing revolutionary from this review. Fuck you think? It’s not like I’m reviewing a revolutionary band, you know… The album is entitled “Death to all”, for fuck’s sake. The band is called Necrophobic. They have some semi-corpsepaint and wear more leather than your local motorcycle gang. Hello? Still there? You better fucken be, bitch.

It’s kinda unexpected for me but I have been on a Necrophobic fix for a few years now. And I must say I dig the fucken drug. You could even say that these guys are a fave band of mine within the specific genre, coz that’s how it is. It’s not like this blasphemous quintet are reinventing the condom or anything, oh no, Necrophobic are just shitting out their melodic death/back metal the best way they can – and boy, do they know their, ehum, shit. The funny thing is that they also come across with having a quite “own” sound (despite the obvious Dissection influences among other things such as Slayer and perhaps… eh… Finntroll?) and they never really played anything different to what you hear on “Death to all”. Much like with fellow Swedes Vomitory I don’t want any surprises when it comes to Necrophobic – I just want their terrific diabolic metal to be improved with each and every release. And they do just that together with the satanic imagery that you and I absolutely love. Necrophobic screams meeeeeeeeeeeeeetal!!!!!

A few years ago they released an album called “Hrrhhimmssthurrsumsuperpenis” (I still don’t know why I never reviewed it properly but I remember it ended up in some edition of Audio Autopsy, go check) and it quickly turned out to be my fave album from the band since they took their death/black style into even more confident territory than before. So it’s safe to say I looked forward to hear what “Death to all” would sound like. Thanx to the kind fuckers at Regain Records (and a note on it that said “please review this”) I now know.

What I always loved about Necropubic (I’m a genius) are their fantastic guitar melodies that reek of melancholy and despair, adding a demonic atmosphere to the material. Combined with choirs it’s a recipe for success, and this is utilized when needed on “Death to all”. Not to forget – they still have only original member and drummer Sterner on board and his playing is charming and quite sloppy as always, which means everything is as it should be in the Necro camp. I need not go into details about “Death to all”. It’s fucken jävla full av ondska och skit, everything executed the way I like it. If you ever were a fan of these guys, you’ll stay just that with this release. Necrophobic play it safe and they do it smart.

There’s a small setback (or two) on this album though; it could have needed a more punchy production. It comes across as a little bit too thin and sterile for my taste. Fear not though, the material makes up for it (listen to the fucken beginning of “For those who stayed satanic” and tell me you are not loving that shit). “Death to all” holds no weak songs whatsoever and stays true to what Necrophobic have created during the years, quite possibly resulting in the finest album of their career. From slashing opener “Celebration Of The Goat” to the ending title track you’ll be battered over and over with fantastic death/black metal, music so good you’ll even keep from laughing at the silly promo photos.

Let me wrap this up by saying this album is exactly as good as I thought and hoped it would be. My girlfriend disagrees – she just asked me if we could listen to something that would get her in a good mood. I take that as mission accomplished for Necrophobic. I, for one, am in a great fucken mood, all thanx to this piece of sonic Christ-pissing.

8 mongoloids stayed satanic out of 10.

- Information
- Released: 2009
- Label: Regain Records
- Website: www.necrophobic.net
- Band
- Tobias Sidegård: vocals
- Johan Bergebäck: guitars
- Sebastian Ramstedt: guitars
- Alex Friberg: bass
- Joakim Sterner: drums

- Tracklist
- 01. Celebration Of The Goat
- 02. Revelation 666
- 03. La Satanisma Muerte
- 04. For Those Who Stayed Satanic
- 05. Temple Of Damnation
- 06. The Tower
- 07. Wings Of Death
- 08. Death To All