Revocation: Netherheaven

After four years in the making, Boston based Technical Death/Thrash Metal juggernauts Revocation have returned with their eighth full length studio album Netherheaven. Following on the heels of their Lovecraftian inspired previous outing called The Outer Ones, Netherheaven sees the band exploring the allegorical and literal aspects of hell diving ever deeper in their darker side.

Netherheaven, while still very much having plenty of their brand of Thrash, built in, does seem to lean even more heavily into their Death Metal side with both more crushing riffing and brutality but also amping up the technicality to new heights as well.

I have to be completely honest, Revocation are one of those bands that on paper I should love. They are expert instrumentalists with Dave Davidson especially being a shining star of modern extreme metal guitar playing, the arrangements are dense and complex and there has always been a strong mix of brutality, energy and melody. However for whatever mysterious reason the band never clicked with me. I own many of their previous albums and have tried many times to feel the love. However while I find them enjoyable in the moment I've never found the band calling me back for repeat listens. So when Netherheaven came in for review I felt some trepidation. I highly respect the band and fully acknowledge they are very good at what they do, and I can also understand why people love them, but I was worried about having to be honest knowing there was a good chance I was gonna be underwhelmed, having no desire to shit on Revocation at all.

Thankfully I’ve been very pleasantly surprised by Netherheaven. Perhaps it’s the more Tech -Death approach and less of the Thrash dominance, perhaps the band has just managed to write more compelling tunes this time and perhaps it’s the playing has leveled up even further this time around. I suspect it’s all of the above.

From the moment Netherheaven opens with “Diabolical Majesty� with its immediately intense and expressive riffing and pummeling attack, to the closing power and high speed Death and Thrash Metal attack of “Re-Crucified�, the band is going straight for the throat. There is no rest for the wicked here, this is infernal, brutal and technical and for the first time I actually wanna come back to the album again after hearing it. Of course it has to also be said that Dave’s guitar playing is fantastic throughout, absolutely blazing hot solos all over the place and for the guitar lovers out there this will definitely have an aphrodisiac effect on your nether regions.

I’m not sure if it’s gonna finally convert me to their cause, only time will tell, but for now I think this is Revocation at their very best and I would definitely recommend this album to any lovers of Technical Death and Thrash Metal.

LINE-UP:
David Davidson-Guitars / Vocals
Brett Bamberger-Bass / Vocals
Ash Pearson-Drums

TRACK-LISTING:

1. Diabolical Majesty - 4:56
2. Lessons In Occult Theft - 5:39
3. Nihilistic Violence - 5:04
4. Strange and Eternal - 5:52
5. Galleries of Morbid Artistry - 5:25
6. The 9th Chasm - 3:37
7. Godforsaken - 4:45
8. The Intervening Abyss Of Untold Aeons - 5:43
9. Re-Crucified (feat. Trevor Strnad & George “Corpsegrinder� Fisher) - 3:44

Added: January 5th 2023
Reviewer: Benjamin Dudai
Score:
Related Link: Band Website
Hits: 790
Language: english

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