NECROWRETCH
NECROWRETCH "Swords of Dajjal"
By Dr. Abner Mality
It's a very gratifying thing to see a band take the time to mature and reinvent itself in a positive way. That's happened in a big way with the latest album from France's NECROWRETCH. The band has had the courage to take a look at themselves and realize a change was needed. Their prior records were fierce but kind of sloppy death metal with a Swedish edge to it. They took that style about as far as they could on their last record "The Ones From Hell".
So into the cocoon they went and five years later we have a new NECROWRETCH. The black metal influences are now way more pronounced and they've injected dark melody into what was previously a murky racket. There's a lot of DISSECTION in their approach, but mixed with a ferocious blackened death vibe ala that other famous NECRO band, NECROPHOBIC. This new sound leaps out at you right away with first track "Ksar al-Kufar" and only intensifies on "The Fifth Door", which is such a beautiful mix of atmosphere and aggression.
There are some great tracks here. "Numidian Knowledge" and "Vae Victis" are an awesome one-two punch that shows NECROWRETCH is now a completely different band than the one that recorded "The Ones From Hell". Lyrically, they have also evolved...the album has a concept revolving around Islamic demonology and mysticism. It's deeper and more thought out than the caveman lyrics they had in the past.
The album flies past in just 37 minutes, but those 37 minutes demonstrate that we have a whole new ballgame when it comes to NECROWRETCH.