Since 2005 my fellow Norwegians in Nekromantheon have made frentic metal that grabs you by the neck and pulls you right back to the 80s and the hey-day of thrash/death metal.
Nine years after their last album theyre back with The Visions Of Trismgistos, described as "bringing forth the spirit of old metal again" and its most certainly an accurate statement.
Throughout the half hour consisting of 8 tracks Nekromantheon shows that the spirit is alive and well with manic lead guitars soaring through bringing legends like Trey Azagthoth to mind immediatly along with classic albums by both early Sepultura and Morbid Angel. Are they reinventing the wheel? No, do they need to? Not really. While theres no shortage of self-proclaimed old school death/thrash bands out there it`s easier said than done to achieve not only the sound but also the atmosphere and vibe such a proclamation might suggest.
From the opening title track to the relentlessness of Faustian Rites and highly atmospheric Scorched Death, the pure mania of Thanatos Nekromantheon has definetly hit the nail on the head with this one. Recorded with mostly analog equipment at Chaka Khan Studio as well as other locations around Oslo this album feels like a lost classic from back in the day resurfacing, being rediscovered to finally achieve the well deserced praise.
Throughout the album we find references to Gnosticism in the lyrics, something that will only ever please me, while much of the lyrical content in this genre can too often be fairly copy/paste nonsense and the usual bad zombie movie description Nekromantheon delivers a touch of substance for those who wish to dig a little deeper and find out what theyre talking about. How serious the trio is about the contents of their lyrics I cant comment on but I do hope it`s more than just a show as that would check each point on my proverbial list.
Overall this is a gritty, pounding and fervent collection of songs. Short, sweet and to the point, as it should be without any meandering going on. Production wise Id say its perfectly balanced and hits the right spot for anyone looking for fresh metal in the vein of those ancient Gods of the 80s.