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October 12, 2008 |
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01. The Slaughter Of Baby Jesus
02. Blinded By Light, Enlightened By Darkness
03. I Strike With Wrath
04. Age Of Chaos
05. Bloodshed Eyes
06. The Crossing
07. Eternal Winter
08. Death Immaculate
09. Sitra Ahra
10. Serpents (Beneath The Forest Of The Dead)
11. Black Hate
12. Hrimthursum
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On the war torn and blood drenched battlefield that lies between the realms of Death and Black Metal, stalking like revenants and feasting upon the dead and the dying, reside twisted, devious creatures who do not deign to differentiate one army from the other. Instead they feed indiscriminately on both, devouring aspects of each to become an entirely new entity, one of vicious brutality and black blasphemy, ruthless and irreverently impartial to the boundaries and expectations demanded by either style. NECROPHOBIC is such a creature, and "Hrimthursum" is lethal proof that this creature is one of the most wickedly devastating Blackened Death beasts ever spawned.
The term "Hrimthursum" is derived from the hrimthurs of Norse mythology, a tribe of ice (or, technically, rime) giants that inhabited Niflheim, a land of eternal frost and cold, and is a theme that permeates such unholy hymns as "Age Of Chaos": "Mighty powers from below I am yours, rise up from the shadows and resurrect my soul. The age of the giants has returned." And though NECROPHOBIC hail from Sweden, they take significant influence from their neighbors in Norway. In addition the mythos, there is much to be found in NECROPHIBIC's song structuring and tempos that draws a striking similarity to the work of Norway's myth 'n' Metal maestros AMON AMARTH, with the songs often charging out of the speakers in a manner reminiscent of the sound of horse and warrior hurtling full throttle down mountainous slopes toward the bloody battlefield.
But this is only one facet of NECROPHIBIC's barrage of blood, blast beats, blasphemy, and Blackened Death, and the further one progresses through "Hrimthursum" the more one realizes that this battlefield revenant is very much its own monstrosity. For example, "Sitra Ahra" is an iconic tune that delivers the full force of NECROPHOBIC's staggering capabilities, a fluid weaving of chilling acoustics, Black Metal's signature chaotic guitar tones and rasping vocals (which are surprisingly intelligible), crush and grind Death Metal tempos, and lyrical concepts inspired by the Ancient Ways. The Aramaic term for "the other side" or the opposite of holiness, representing the collective forces of evil and derived from the sins of man, "Sitra Ahra" captures a demonic lamentation to the spirits of an ancient evil, of "Chaos, magick, fire, death" through an especially strong song structuring and vocal layout that's as convincing an incantation as virtually any I've heard from MORBID ANGEL's sincere affection for chaos, darkness and evils most ancient.
As "Hrimthursum" pounds its way relentlessly into your skull you will come ever closer to the realization that NECROPHOBIC are one of the absolute best at what they do. Their sincere passion for the tales and ways of ancient evil along with their uncanny ability to incant that passion tangibly and effectively through their music is a testament unto itself. NECROPHOBIC are a band of such a caliber that you'd not hesitate to wager your immortal soul on the prophecy that they will decimate the Extreme Metal scene wholly and completely for years to come. As they have foretold, "the age of giants has returned", and undoubtedly they have returned under the oppressive moniker of NECROPHIBIC.
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