Necrodeath
Black As Pitch

LA RECENSIONE

After they disbanded in 1989, it took nine long years of silence for Necrodeath, one of the most solid acts of our local extreme metal scene, to reunite. Once they enlisted singer Flegias from Opera IX and bassist John, the Genoese band, ten years after its dissolution, immediately released a new album, eager to prove that the good times of "Fragments Of Insanity" were about to return: thus came out "Mater Of All Evil". The work was generally well-received by Necrodeath followers, whose sound hadn't been softened at all by the long break. "Mater Of All Evil" is an album based on the combination of Thrash and Black metal which is so dear to the Ligurian group: with "Black as Pitch", released two years later (2001), basically, they start again from here.

In this album, Necrodeath's cynical will to annihilate the listener stands out, now more than ever. "Black As Pitch" is, in fact, perhaps the hardest album the band has ever produced. Two seconds of soft drumming before Flegias' extremely violent voice, duly supported by Claudio's guitar sound wall, comes in to clear the way: "Red As Blood" starts like this. The album is heavily influenced by bands such as Slayer (especially in the guitar riffs) and Kreator: a devastating and very fast Thrash drags the listener from the beginning to the end, reaching Black-Death heights. The tracks flow uniformly, accompanied by Flegias' piercing screams, which greatly help to evoke an extreme atmosphere. "Burn and Deny" presents the listener with the first acoustic guitar of the album, whose use makes the sound even more dark and occult, and which we will find again in "Church's Black Book." Finally, it is worth noting that "Sacrifice 2k1" is a reworking of the track "Eucharistical Sacrifice" from the aforementioned album "Fragments Of Insanity".

"Black As Pitch" is certainly played in a respectable manner (Peso's performance behind the drums is truly remarkable) and, even though all tracks have the same underlying characteristics, it manages not to bore, and for a brutal work of this kind, that is no small feat. However, the lack of originality and a production that, though meticulous, has made the sound too powerful, flattening the songs and burying Flegias' vocals behind the instruments, are the flaws that prevent the work from rising to the rank of "masterpiece". Not to mention the conclusion of "Church's Black Book": a listing of the crimes committed by the Church set against a backdrop of screeching guitars. In a word: tedium.

Nevertheless, "Black As Pitch" is an album that does not disappoint: although it is not as complete as the previous work, where the fury was splendidly balanced by the softer parts, it remains an album that is more than acceptable.