Necrodeath
Phylogenesis

The first signs were already visible on the previous 2007 album "Draculea": one of the most famous thrash-black bands in the Italian music scene had begun to make the pieces more refined, precious, and polished but also much less impetuous.

But "Draculea", despite being panned by critics (I am one of the few in the entire Peninsula who found it overall positive), was a decent product balanced between the recent past (the spectacular "100% Hell" from 2006) and newness.

"Phylogenesis" sinks (or rather, drowns ?) into the latter, the black influences of the origins have disappeared, the thrash metal is still alive and present but under a cleaner, more precise and brilliant form.
If on the previous record the newcomer Pier Gonella (already with Labyrinth, not exactly music akin to Necrodeath, one who still hasn't been figured out if he's a permanent member of the band or just a session musician, who knows) had limited himself, here he takes many more spaces (I’m not sure about the credits of the various songs but his more technical, "perfectionist" touch is there) and the same goes for GL, another newcomer replacing Jhon (Raza de Odio, Cadaveria), who is worth less than his predecessor.

The violent assault of the past is always postponed, in every piece, to give way to more "alienating" and reflective passages, surely diminishing the immediacy and the "in your face" impact that distinguished the old course.

Not everything is to be discarded, on the contrary, Flegias seems in good shape and Peso always manages at various moments to give his master's touch (also beautiful some tribal passages, which had already appeared on "Draculea" anyway), but it’s really the songs that lack that extra gear.

Very appreciable nonetheless are "The Theory" (with an aggressive Slayer-like approach), "Extreme Emotional Shock" (great track), and the concluding "Final War" (a sort of mid-tempo rich in beautiful melodies alternating with very violent parts); on the other hand, however, "I.N.R.I" could have been much better with fewer parts and a different song structure, the opener "Awaking of Dawn" and "Time Never Dies" are rather bland (though I believe they’ll be effective live, at least I hope so), "Propitiation of the gods" is chaotic, and the remaining lack bite.

Even with, indeed, 3 very convincing tracks, the new Necrodeath album is overall, weak, if "Draculea" already feels distant, just imagine "100% Hell", with an astronomical binoculars really. Oh well, sometimes even the greats miss the mark.

P.s. the artwork, however, remains, as always, beautiful.