Necrostalgia is a melodic death metal band from Australia formed in 2014, releasing their self-titled debut album in 2016.
Terrorising audiences since their formation with unrelenting aggression, Necrostalgia has established itself as a fierce live act. The band have transferred this aggression to the studio and unleashed their debut album to the world in 2016. Featuring eight songs, covering delusion, revolution, paranoia and a quest for revenge, Necrostalgia takes the listener on a mesmeric journey they will never forget. A frightening and gut-wrenching scream will strike fear into the listener as the album opens with ‘Denial’. Very heavy guitars with a thunderous thrash metal vibe, ‘Denial’ is hard-hitting with a throaty rasp of a growled vocal delivery. Add a screeching guitar solo and ‘Denial’ kicks the album off in terrifying style.
A more melodic guitar sound welcomes ‘Chapel Perilous’ to the fore, bringing forth an unrelenting chug of a rhythm that just pounds and pounds mercilessly. The aggressive vocals rasp and rant as ‘Chapel Perilous’ foot stomps on its way. Switching to a more progressive feel, ‘Look Up’ is a mid tempo romp with the throatiest of raspy vocals. Necrostalgia is not afraid to mix it up and infuse varying musical styles into its melodic death metal roots. Unbelievably mellow for a death metal album, ‘Digital Footprints’ casually strolls in and will have the un-initiated reaching for their lighters…but for those of us in the know, keep the lighters well and truly out of sight, ‘cos like a steam roller, when ‘Digital Footprints’ kicks in, you will be steamrolled by its heaviness.
Making its influence felt is the hard rock genre, for the intro to ‘In Time’ could well appear on any USA hard rock bands album. Begin the growled vocals and the relentless chugging rhythms and ‘In Time’ turns into a menacing romp. Some superb guitar work makes ‘In Time’ a highlight on the album and a definite favourite song. ‘Nightbreed’ is the most melodic song on the album, with a galloping rhythm and a buzzing guitar sound. In fact, ‘Nightbreed’ could appear on a traditional heavy metal album with a clean and clear vocal presence and not look out of place. So far, the listener has been taken on a journey through many different styles of music, but is brought back heavily into the melodic death metal genre with ‘Methods Of Terror’. Very heavy and thrash metal inspired, ‘Methods Of Terror’ is lyrically a very frightening song. Bringing the album to a close is the doom-metal influenced ‘Nights Reign’. Slow and oh so heavy, ‘Nights Reign’ brings to an end an incredible journey through a fierce and furious, sinister and menacing array of songs.
Overall, menacing and terrifying, this debut album is fierce and furious with unrelenting rhythms that are savage and barbaric.
TRACKLIST
Denial
Chapel Perilous
Look Up
Digital Footprints
In Time
Nightbreed
Methods Of Terror
Nights Reign
Necrostalgia: Facebook
Release Year: 2016
Label: self-released
Category: Album
Country: Australia
Reviewed by Iron Mathew for Frenzy Fire, and Metal-Roos.
