The Germans have a similar problem as the Americans. The term metalcore gets thrown around like a whore in a bukkake circle and deprives some bands of the obvious melodic death metal moniker they deserve. Despite comparisons to heavy weights Heaven Shall Burn and Caliban, bands like Neaera along with Fragments of Unbecoming lean considerably to the once glorified Gothenburg melodic death sound. Withstanding aversion amongst critics in a redundant genre, Neaera have kept head above water and managed to stay solid through the years. Omnicide-Creation Unleashed is another fine addition to their discography.
The no bullshit opener “I Loathe” is a fierce, blackened piece of metal with primitive blasts and dissonant melodies. This sets the bar for the rest of the album and showcases a heavier and matured Neaera. The use of both guttural, and high-pitched vocals are nothing new, and Neaera have always been noticeable with Benjamin Hilleke’s piercing shriek. This is even more evident in 2009 and will make ears bleed with some of the material delivered here.
“The Wretched of the Earth,” further utilizes violent blast beats and dissonance with beauty and thrashing main verses. The chorus on this song is by far my favorite moment on this record, an excellent piece.
The crazy mix of modern metal antics, blackened viciousness, and brutal death metal (“Ceasura”) has truly come together for the band on some of the songs, and unlike their countrymen Heaven Shall Burn and Caliban, breakdowns are almost non-existent. Another thing that sets these guys apart is the amount raw primal energy. Some of the songs are closely related to bands like Naglfar and Dimmu Borgir in their tremolo picking and drumming. The high-pitched shrieks only add to this.
Though this is a solid band, it is apparent by the midsection of Omnicide and that songs bleed together with little distinction. It is a shame as this record starts off with a bang. It is a plague that effects most bands in this genre and keeps them from truly moving the style forward. Neaera are a tight bunch and deserve a listen. Just don’t expect anything groundbreaking. Fans of the aforementioned German acts should embrace this band with ease.
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Good review man. Their stuff has never clicked with me before, and I’m not sure why. Seems like something I should like. I’ll have to check this out to see if anything has changed.
on Jun 12th, 2009 at 21:50It falls into that “I don’t care category” but they do have some serious stuff from time to time. I’d rather hear this than Heaven Shall Burn anyday.
on Jun 13th, 2009 at 07:24