Necrophagia
Holocausto de la Morte
[Red Stream]
Dedicated to the Godfather of Gore, Lucio Fulci. Remember the days of classic horror films such as Zombie, The Gates of Hell, and The Beyond? I'm not sure if the Italian terror master would be proud, but for me, this was a nice reminder of masterpieces that have been by many long forgotten. Occasional sound clips (The Exorcist), a barrage of demonic cover art, and everything else about Holocausto de la Morte screams ancient thriller.
It is no secret that the hype surrounding Necrophagia is pretty sick in itself. The use of famous porn star Jenna Jameson as a promotional toy, the cult bloodbath Through the Eyes of the Dead video, and of course Phil Anselmo (aka Anton Crowley) on guitar has exiled almost any attempt to take this band seriously. The latter alone has attracted so many knuckle-dragging Pantera morons that even previous Necrophagia supporters no longer want to admit their affiliation.
The tragedy here is, when you strip away all of that propaganda and listen to the music from a completely objective level, there is so much great straightforward gore here that I felt like I was indulging in a vat of blood. Killjoy's vocals are some of the best in the genre - simply over the top sickness with powerful gut-wrenching screams. The drumming is more than formidable and even "Anton Crowley's" guitar has a great crunching bite to it. "Deep Inside, I Plant the Devil's Seed" and "Embalmed yet I Breath" are easily two of the best songs Necrophagia have recorded to date. "Blood Freak" and "Cadaverous Screams of my Deceased Lover" are strong as well. The end of the album begins to dwindle off a bit, but it is by no means a weak finish.
Supposedly a 7" split with Antaeus was in order and the band plans to release a collection of old material that predates Season of the Dead. Fans of Impetigo and other such vile acts will probably find Necrophagia immensely enjoyable. Even if you can't get into Holocausto de la Morte, give the band some credit for vigorously attempting to revive a sorely missed film culture.
© 2000 hando
It is no secret that the hype surrounding Necrophagia is pretty sick in itself. The use of famous porn star Jenna Jameson as a promotional toy, the cult bloodbath Through the Eyes of the Dead video, and of course Phil Anselmo (aka Anton Crowley) on guitar has exiled almost any attempt to take this band seriously. The latter alone has attracted so many knuckle-dragging Pantera morons that even previous Necrophagia supporters no longer want to admit their affiliation.
The tragedy here is, when you strip away all of that propaganda and listen to the music from a completely objective level, there is so much great straightforward gore here that I felt like I was indulging in a vat of blood. Killjoy's vocals are some of the best in the genre - simply over the top sickness with powerful gut-wrenching screams. The drumming is more than formidable and even "Anton Crowley's" guitar has a great crunching bite to it. "Deep Inside, I Plant the Devil's Seed" and "Embalmed yet I Breath" are easily two of the best songs Necrophagia have recorded to date. "Blood Freak" and "Cadaverous Screams of my Deceased Lover" are strong as well. The end of the album begins to dwindle off a bit, but it is by no means a weak finish.
Supposedly a 7" split with Antaeus was in order and the band plans to release a collection of old material that predates Season of the Dead. Fans of Impetigo and other such vile acts will probably find Necrophagia immensely enjoyable. Even if you can't get into Holocausto de la Morte, give the band some credit for vigorously attempting to revive a sorely missed film culture.
© 2000 hando