Necrowretch – Swords of Dajjal
Necrowretch – Swords of Dajjal
Season of Mist
Release Date: 02/02/24
Running Time: 32:27
Review by Oli Gonzalez
8.5/10
Over the last few months, I’ve delved deeper and deeper into the Black Metal genre, every now and then uncovering some gems within the dirt. For me, Necrowretch is certainly one of those gems and makes me wonder why I had never heard of them sooner! Afterall, the French Extreme metallers have an enviable list of accolades to their name, having shared the stage with the likes of Haake, Carcass, and Black Metal icons Gorgoroth. As well as appearing on acclaimed festivals such as Hellfest, and touring all over Europe. Amongst many other accomplishments. Not bad for a band that describe themselves as ‘still very underground’.
It seems as though their latest album represents an approach to production that is much more refined and focussed than in previous attempts. Some of the details I, as a music nerd, find fascinating to read. For instance, the band reports that the album was ‘written on purpose mostly on acoustic 12 string guitars’. As bizarre as this sounds, I totally get the logic. Too many Metal musicians seem to think that cranking up the distortion and drop tuning is the path to heaviness. If you can produce a heavy riff in clean tone and in standard tuning, you’re pretty damn good if you ask me. This is just one example of the level of detail and the effort Necrowretch have gone to produce “The Sword Of Dajjal”, their most ambitious effort to date. Whilst promising an Extreme Metal sound that’s straying more towards the Black Metal end, I seriously could not wait to get my teeth into this.
First impressions? Well, no need for overcomplicated analysis or flowery language; this is pretty damn awesome! For me, this screams of an old school Black Metal undertone. Yet there’s more to it. The production values feel deliberately raw yet polished. The sound is fresh yet somehow familiar. A throwback and homage to their Black Metal forefathers whilst utilising the range of modern production techniques to full effect. The crossover of Death and Black metal would appeal to fans of Samael, Mispyrming, and older Behemoth in my opinion.
‘Ksar Al-Kufar’ perhaps sums up the more traditional Black Metal elements the best. Here, classic thunderous blast beats, tremolo picked riffs, and blood curdling KVLT style shrieks prominent in the mix. A mix which allows all elements to shine equally and getting the attention they all need and deserve.
The most evil, fear-inducing guitar riffs scribed by Satan himself dominate ‘The Fifth Door’, such are their frantic and ominous nature, and clearly the melodic centrepiece to the song! Gnarly stuff indeed! I was very much invested and paying close attention at this point.
The traditional Black Metal assault continues during ‘Dii Mauri’ and the album’s title track ‘Swords Of Dajjal’. I could see some much more interesting rhythmic components with the band’s backline laying down some ferociously infectious grooves. ‘Numidian Knowledge’ takes this further and offers a much sludgier affair by comparison, as I found myself headbanging along in approval. All of which is designed to hypnotise and lull you into a false sense of security. All before Necrowretch sadistically change their plan of attack to some blistering blast beats to pulverise your senses! If sheer speed and mind blowing pace is what you’re after, check out ‘Vae Victus’. I did seriously contemplate whether their drummer has mechanical knees and ankles, with pedals and sticks smashing into the drum skins like a pneumatic drill into concrete!
‘Daeva’ is a much more atmospheric and stripped down instrumental affair. A fantastic addition and one I listened to multiple times! I’m a sucker for instrumentals after all! This adds some most welcome variety to the album and demonstrates Necrowretch’s compositional versatility. We need light for darkness to shine, and I found a strange degree of comfort in listening to this track, especially in the earlier stages.
‘Total Obliteration’. Well, I honestly don’t think a song could be better titled than this. Especially in the opening segment, with more trademark Black Metal intensity. Things come to a screeching halt though, and at around the 40 second mark, the tension builds in a passage designed for a live show, with the intention to incite pits carved in the bowels of hell itself. The fading out with much calmer yet still ominous arpeggios provides some much needed respite and allows the listener to return to some sense of normality after this onslaught on the senses. A solid finish to a solid album. An album that’s just over half an hour. An ideal amount really, as I’m left wanting more without the burnout that comes from longer records.
So, what’s missing from this album? What’s stopping “The Sword Of Dajjal” from being a 9 or 10/10 record? I’ll answer my own question with another question; what makes Necrowretch unique? To be honest, I can’t really answer my own question. When compared to the elite of the genre, it’s hard to see where Necrowretch truly stands out. With that being said, “The Sword Of Dajjal” is a true statement of intent and a warning to the heavyweights of the industry. A warning that after lurking in the shadows for over a decade, there’s a new challenger about to emerge. Necrowretch aren’t here to play games!
TRACKLISTING:
01. Ksar Al-Kufar
02. The Fifth Door
03. Dii Mauri
04. Swords of Dajjal
05. Numidian Knowledge
06. Vae Victis
07. Daeva
08. Total Obliteration
LINE-UP:
Vlad – Vocals, Guitars
W. Cadaver – Lead Guitars
R. Cadaver (Live) – Bass
N. Destroyer – Drums
LINKS:
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