Necrowretch, from France, return with their third long-player, Satanic Slavery and on a brand new label-Season of Mist.  I’ve been following the band since their debut album, Putrid Death Sorcery in 2013 and struck up some cool convos with guitarist/vocalist Vlad, after interviewing them back then.  The band has no shortage of material, either.  Releasing the Bestial Rites comp several years back, which combined demos/eps etc. and then returning in 2015 with the deadly With Serpents Scourge. The other new items: a new bass guitar player and a slightly tweaked and better looking band logo.  Oh damn I guess I should mention that Satanic Slavery is the best album, from Necrowretch.  Hot damn, the awesome demonic album art goes perfectly with the album’s lyrical themes and demonic, putrid, brutal and original blackened style of death metal. 

One of the most noticeable nuances is Necrowretch continues to get more powerful with each release and have not let up on the gas pedal or intensity-thank the dark lord for that.  8 songs in 38 minutes, the band wastes little time, when after the intro, on “Sprawl of Sin”, the minute intro goes to bed with a terrific guitar tone coming in and a monster blast going straight for your gulliver.  Then we get Vlad letting out an outstanding blackened metal shriek and the song has a great simple chorus over the blast beats. Damn, Necrowretch has a killer and I mean KILLER guitar tone on this.  Hey the 2.55 part with the acoustic piece took me off guard, in a good way with some melodic guitar moments and incredible drumming with killer tom and drum rolls.  The isolated guitar moments and solos toward the end really show the growth the band has put into their song writing and that is an important point to let you know.  The title track has an opening to die for.  Killer guitar tone, bass guitar and nice guitar string slide with a monstrous double bass opening moment.  For crissakes, it just gets better when the blast comes scorching through and Vlad sounding like some pained demonic entity rising from the very depths of hell to take your soul, from your pathetic shell, and bring it back to hell just to torment you for eternity.  The awesome mid-section also showcases how powerful the band is even when not blasting, with this mid-paced part just brutalizing all in its path.  The old school Bathory guitar solo towards the end, really had me hailing the horns, big time!

“Evil Names” has a wonderful opening sequence and also has some spectacular atmospheric moments.  The album closes with the hell blazing “Verses from the Depths”.  Brutal blast and then getting right into a killer 90’s stylized brutal and fast beat.  Vlad also sings quite fast on certain moments of the track, which is quite cool and his screams are really reaching heights I never thought he’d still be capable of.  The middle section has some nice slower moments and vicious lyrical themes, quite blasphemous.  The 4 minute moment with the cool phase effect on the guitar, goes into an ethereal guitar solo and the song trails off in the distance and BOOM!!  Hell Yes, if you like blackened death metal, look no further than Satanic Slavery, from Necrowretch.  Now I am a big fan of Belphegor and I know they have their new one coming out, but I am unsure if it can compete with this album.  Satanic Slavery is so goddamned intense, heavy, blasting, pummeling, evil, vicious and most of all well played.  Necrowretch need to be proud of this monstrous album. 

The mix and production is perfect and this is one of the best sounding death metal albums all year.  Also while still having a modern sound, due to the killer production values, Necrowretch retains a brutal late 80’s/early 90’s feel to their sound and this is original and not for the faint-hearted listener. Ever since their debut album I have felt Necrowretch were one of the best underground acts.  I continue to stand my ground with this solidified belief system.  Make no mistake, Satanic Slavery is slaughtering from beginning to end and one of the strongest releases of 2017.  Buy or Die!

 

[Visit the band's website]

---

Comments