Necronomicon – Constant To Death
El Puerto Records
Release Date: 28/04/2023
Running Time: 48:35
Review by Richard Oliver
7/10
Much like in the old school thrash scene of any country, there are bands which are household names to the Heavy Metal community whilst there are also bands who fell along the wayside but have earned themselves a devoted cult following. One such band is Necronomicon, who formed in Baden-Württemberg, Germany in 1984 and have remained a defiant, underground force in teutonic Thrash to this day with multiple album releases which lead us to the bands eleventh album “Constant To Death” in 2023.
Despite being a veteran thrash band, Necronomicon have opted for a sound on “Constant To Death” that is equal parts old-school and contemporary sounding. There is a strong thrashing backbone to these songs but with a strong use of melody and apart from a handful of speedier numbers the album remains at a middling pace throughout. This unfortunately means that “Constant To Death” doesn’t really gather much steam. When it comes to a thrash album you want speed and aggression and so when we do get these moments such as in ‘They Lie’, ‘Stored In Blood’ and ‘Children Cry Alone’. These songs tend to overshadow the other songs on the album. Songs such as ‘The Guilty Shepherd’, ‘Black Rain’ and ‘???’ see the band branching out into some other territories but unfortunately the songs just aren’t that interesting. Despite the fluctuations in the songwriting department, the band does put in some killer performances. As the sole surviving original member of the band Freddy puts in a passionate vocal performance and the guitar work between him and lead guitarist Glen Shannon is very tasty at times. The rhythm section of bassist Marco Lohrenz and drummer Rik Charron pummel along nicely throughout and Rik especially has his speed and Thrash Metal credentials having been the drummer for Exciter for many years.
Although “Constant To Death” isn’t the most exciting or awe inspiring album it is a very solid one. I think this is a recurring thing for Necronomicon that, apart from some early cult classics such as the self-titled album or “Escalation”, they have never really risen above being a solid thrash band. This is enjoyable stuff and will definitely have some heads nodding and feet tapping but it is just a bit on the forgettable side requiring a bit more snarl and bite to it… “Constant To Death” is by no means a bad album but it won’t see you rushing to give it a repeat listen either.
‘Constant to Death’ Official Video
TRACKLISTING:
01. Constant To Death
02. They Lie
03. Redemption
04. Stored In Blood
05. The Guilty Shepherd
06. A Voice For The Voiceless
07. Black Rain
08. Children Cry Alone
09. Bloodrush
10. Down From The Above
11. The Blood Runs Red
12. Poverty Show
13. Outro
LINE-UP:
Freddy – Vocals & Guitars
Marco Lohrenz – Bass
Rik Charron – Drums
Glen Shannon – Guitars
LINKS:
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