Fast, relentless, catchy. This Nekrofilth record is my first introduction to them and I'm pretty surprised. Most of the time when I get a Grindcore or Crossover record, they seem just to emulate bands before them, and not deviate to create their own identity. Nekrofilth plays what their heroes do best and managed to find that catchy tone and stick it up our faces. The band's subject material comes through the speakers, just like their band name. In it's very core, the band plays Crossover Thrash, but with strong Death Metal influence on how the band writes their songs. The songs never overstay it's welcome by over repeating the verses but they never come in the format of the micro-song that we all know from Grindcore and Hardcore Punk. So what you get here are short burst of 2 minutes of pure energy but they never fall short. In the spirit of their dirty and sleazy lyric subject, you at least reach your climax. With song titles like Junkie Cunt or Smear The Sleaze suggest, you aren't getting your daily dose of political critique but you're getting in your face nihilistic, GG Allin spewing hatred and at times misogynistic shock lyrics. Just pure sleaze.
Welcome to my putrid hell
Inside the crypt is where I dwell
Walls stained green with dripping cum
Get on your knees and lick my scum!
This rampaging 13 track monstrosity isn't your regular, flavor of the month Crossover. When I say that this is a fusion of Death Metal and Crossover, it really is a mix of both. The vocals courtesy of Zack Rose of Nunslaughter (another amazing band that if you've never heard, have to check out.) fame, comes from a strong gruffy Hardcore Punk influenced shout vocals, crossed with screams that at times feel as if almost going into the territory of growls. No Black Metal shrieking and unnecessary gang vocals like most bands in today's renaissance of Thrash revival, just pure unadulterated anger, through barking of the lower register.
You can feel as if like an insane, perverted hobo horrifying you those words as he jumps onto you. The guitars are a barrage of Punk influenced power chords that don't get afraid to serve you with amazing riffs, that could even be in Death Metal albums. In fact, by the first few seconds of the record, I was half-expecting deep growls to go along with the riffs. They never get intricate at any time but it serves it's purpose. Even the solos don't come and try to force themselves in to extend the track longer. It ends when it has punched you in the face, beat you up, take your money and walk away when they're done.
Yes, that's how it feels like listening to this record, being mugged by a filthy hobo at the junction where the pimps are displaying their "products," but only if you enjoy the B-movie trashiness of how that sounds. But the bass, the bass is the brass knuckle that junkie hobo punched you with, that he pawned to get more heroine. It just adds an extra layer of groove to and heaviness to the guitars. The drums never go overboard and it's something that more bands should emulate. Sometimes drummers show off for the sake of showing off.
That to me sounds like an attitude that could break a band easily. Just look at the history of band members with large egos that their band can contain. Drummer Jon B, instead is a team player and goes where the music is needed. No unnecessary fills, just go on with the Punk styled drumming when needed and smash the snares repetitively when they need to go fast. This also another relieve from the other Grindcore bands that forget that there is no gold metal for drumming as a sport. (No, don't talk to me about breaking world records)
You can feel as if like an insane, perverted hobo horrifying you those words as he jumps onto you. The guitars are a barrage of Punk influenced power chords that don't get afraid to serve you with amazing riffs, that could even be in Death Metal albums. In fact, by the first few seconds of the record, I was half-expecting deep growls to go along with the riffs. They never get intricate at any time but it serves it's purpose. Even the solos don't come and try to force themselves in to extend the track longer. It ends when it has punched you in the face, beat you up, take your money and walk away when they're done.
Yes, that's how it feels like listening to this record, being mugged by a filthy hobo at the junction where the pimps are displaying their "products," but only if you enjoy the B-movie trashiness of how that sounds. But the bass, the bass is the brass knuckle that junkie hobo punched you with, that he pawned to get more heroine. It just adds an extra layer of groove to and heaviness to the guitars. The drums never go overboard and it's something that more bands should emulate. Sometimes drummers show off for the sake of showing off.
That to me sounds like an attitude that could break a band easily. Just look at the history of band members with large egos that their band can contain. Drummer Jon B, instead is a team player and goes where the music is needed. No unnecessary fills, just go on with the Punk styled drumming when needed and smash the snares repetitively when they need to go fast. This also another relieve from the other Grindcore bands that forget that there is no gold metal for drumming as a sport. (No, don't talk to me about breaking world records)
But what's most important about this band is that this band's sound is a logical continuation of what Crossover should be from what the granddaddies of Suicidal Tendencies wanted. We have Crossover like DRI that adds amazing solos to their repertoire. We also have SOD, side project of Anthrax's Scott Ian pulling off the Hardcore Punk meets Slayer sound, with their hilarious touch on political satire. Nekrofilth's sound honestly takes crossover a whole new level by bringing elements of Death Metal through the riffs and double bass drums when needed.
It's as if Crossover is upgraded to another level that could very well receive the moniker "Crossover Death" rather than "Crossover Thrash." When the Thrash Metal revival came back to invade our shelves, I was honestly hoping that there more bands to innovate from that template. Instead, we had slews of Metalpunk of dubious quality. Though I admit that the term Metalpunk was a smart term to come out of this new scene.
While I do enjoy bands like Municipal Waste or Iron Reagan (which just sounds like bite sized Waste without the solos), they are not bringing it another level. Now, I am not implying that for all music to be good they need to be upping it to the next level with what ever element there is, I am just craving for it.
Ghoul did it before by using Death Metal vocals over their Crossover Thrash but it essentially still sounds like Thrash Metal with Death Metal interludes. Nekrofilth on the other hand, does honestly sound like that combination, mixed together done well. They're not the first to do it, but they're doing it well without the parts sounding jarring. If Municipal Waste is "The Toxic Avenger" and Cannibal Corpse is "Cannibal Holocaust", then, Nekrofilth is "Hobo With A Shotgun" from the perspective of the pedophile Santa Claus.
It's as if Crossover is upgraded to another level that could very well receive the moniker "Crossover Death" rather than "Crossover Thrash." When the Thrash Metal revival came back to invade our shelves, I was honestly hoping that there more bands to innovate from that template. Instead, we had slews of Metalpunk of dubious quality. Though I admit that the term Metalpunk was a smart term to come out of this new scene.
While I do enjoy bands like Municipal Waste or Iron Reagan (which just sounds like bite sized Waste without the solos), they are not bringing it another level. Now, I am not implying that for all music to be good they need to be upping it to the next level with what ever element there is, I am just craving for it.
Ghoul did it before by using Death Metal vocals over their Crossover Thrash but it essentially still sounds like Thrash Metal with Death Metal interludes. Nekrofilth on the other hand, does honestly sound like that combination, mixed together done well. They're not the first to do it, but they're doing it well without the parts sounding jarring. If Municipal Waste is "The Toxic Avenger" and Cannibal Corpse is "Cannibal Holocaust", then, Nekrofilth is "Hobo With A Shotgun" from the perspective of the pedophile Santa Claus.
This is what Crossover should sound today, not just another group of people trying to relive their dreams of the 80s. It's nice to have Crossover bands that sound like a continuation of our heroes. Heck, I still try to look for Death Metal that sounds like Death's Leprosy. But as a Metal fan, don't lie to me and say you never wanted someone to push the fucking envelope. Unfortunately, too many bands just want to stay in that cocoon. As the last note ended, it made me ponder about this is vile, disgusting, filth. I need more Crossover like this.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nekrofilth
Bandcamp: http://nekrofilth.bandcamp.com/
PS/ Maybe you might want to read what I wrote about misogyny in metal in another review.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nekrofilth
Bandcamp: http://nekrofilth.bandcamp.com/
PS/ Maybe you might want to read what I wrote about misogyny in metal in another review.
*Not for the squeamish
Terence A. Anthony commutes between Kuala Lumpur and Kuching. Co-Founder of Aural Chaos. He also writes for Greater Malaysia and Opinions Unleashed.