Release Date: 30 April 2021
Song Count: 8
Duration: 32 minutes, 42 seconds
Rating: 6.8/10
Description:
Returning to metal as we once again approach Northern Europe for some musical contents, today we have the most recent album from Norwegian metal band Nekromantheon. Named "oracle of death" in Greek, their output frequently revolves around the concepts of Greek mythology and death in typical metal fashion, all laced behind the fast, brutal riffs and gnarly instrumentation that comes with the genre. Interestingly enough, in spite of them labeling their music as being "thrash metal", the actual sonical profile of their songs could be considered closer to death metal than anything else.
The album's type of metal could generally be described as quite fundamental for most heavier forms of metal, from the quick speeds in which every instrument is being played matching each other's pace to the growls and shouting vocals. This is maintained throughout the entire album with practically no deviation from this set status quo and very little shake-ups even when it comes to different rhythms or tempos, leading to especially the second half of the album feeling rather repetitive. Especially the subtly implemented yet effective ideas utilised in tracks like "Seven Rulers of Fate", "Scorched Death", "Neptune Descent" and most notably the titular opener "The Visions of Trismegistos" catch the ear as something to latch onto here.
While there may simply just be a cap when it comes to how much non-melodic forms of metal I can tolerate in one sitting before losing interest naturally, the comparatively shorter duration of Visions of Trismegistos at around 33 minutes, as well as the presence of some tracks that at least partially try to do something different at certain moments keeps the album from being an outright sludge to get through. A solid work from Nekromantheon more than suitable for when one is in the mood for something that jumps straight into the signature extremity of metal and doesn't mess around.