Malevolent and mesmerizing are two words that can be used to describe the sounds of black metal outfit Necronoclast. Essentially a one man show, Scotsman Greg Edwards has been cranking out one sinister and disconcerting sounding album after another over the past couple of years, and his latest release Ashes is no exception.
Not one to take the time to slowly build things up, Edwards' preferred method is to assault the listener right from the get go and not let up until the last dissonant note has stopped buzzing from your speakers. Immediately you are plunged into his spiraling vortex of frenzied, tremolo picked guitar riffs, pummeling blast beats and gurgling vocals that are pretty much incomprehensible. The distorted, high powered riffs on "Ravenous", "Ghostways" and "Veil Of Flies" often seem to border on white noise, so if the intention here is to push the listener to the brink of insanity then I think you can pretty much chalk up another winner for Necronoclast.
The jarring, lo-fi sounds of Necronoclast might be a tad too experimental for people who prefer, dare I say, more commercial sounding black metal. However, if you like it, cold, grim and evil, and teetering on the edge of madness, then Ashes should be able to give you what you need and then some.
Track Listing
1) Serpents
2) Looking Glass
3) Ashes
4) Ravenous
5) Ghostways
6) Veil Of Flies
7) Kajicnické Đaty
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