Necroxifer; a brief introduction:
Necroxifer, a black metal band from Chile and a side project of Alak Drakon the main force behind Condra released their first album “Acheron”. Alak himself is a busy bee and always working on something, if it’s not his artworks it’s music, and he just keeps on going. Let’s see what he produced this time and if it’s any good.
Acheron
As you probably figured out by now, the album is titled Acheron, which is a river in Greece and also used prominently in Greek Mythology as the gateway to the underworld. The river is also known as the “River of Woe” and it was or is, depending on your views, one of the 5 rivers of the Greek Underworld.
But back to the music itself, how does that flow throughout the album? The album’s runtime is 31 minutes and a bit, and for me, that’s more than enough. I’m not very found of albums that last an hour or more because of my short attention span, so this is perfect for me. There are 10 songs on the album, but 3 of them are instrumental.
- Solstice (Instrumental)
- Rex Coronatus
- Regressive Light
- The Queen of the Night (Instrumental)
- Acheron
- Serpentis XI
- Realm of Nothingness
- The Sacred Feast (Instrumental)
- Veni Moloch
- Starless
If there is one band, I could and should compare this album to its Dissection. This album and (Condra also in a sense) capture the essence of that band, but still, Necroxifer gives it their own little twist. The drums are mixed very well and the vocals sound raspy and cold.
Overall, it’s a decent album with a great atmosphere and a good start for a debut album (well debut, it’s the second album by Alak but the first under this label). I also want to give a mention to the incredible art work on this album. It looks stunning.
Highlights
The first highlight of this album is the second track, “Rex Coronatus”. The track starts off great right from the start with some very nice riffs, and it builds up to sounding gritty in a good way. When the vocals kick in, the song comes to life and that brings it all together. But the riffs, for me, are what sets this track apart.
Another track that appealed to me the most is “Serpentis XI” which is the 7th track of the album. The first second starts off with a gnarly scream, and it just keeps building and building, at the halfway mark, the track builds up speed with some impressive drumming. This is the track I recommend getting a good a feel for what Necroxifer is all about.
Conclusion
Do you like Dissection? If that answer is yes, you need to try this album! If the answer is no? Well, you still need to check this album and form an opinion for yourself. You can give the album a spin by watching the YouTube video below or on one of the many streaming platforms (Spotify, Tidal, etc.)
I enjoyed the first Necroxifer album. And enjoyment, that for me, is what counts the most when listening to a new album.
BMZ Score: 7 / 10
Links:
Bandcamp: Acheron | Necroxifer (bandcamp.com)
Your thoughts?
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