Necromass
Abyss Calls Life

Necromass is a name that has resonated from the depths of the underground since the early nineties and in '94 gave life to Mysteria Mystica Zothyriana, a monumental work, an undisputed masterpiece of black metal not only at the Italian level, but worldwide, which alone would be enough to make our Florentines a cult band. Their perfect alchemy between Black Metal and Dark/Wave has given rise to an impressive sound embellished by the remarkable technical skills of the group, with special mention of honor going to the virtuoso guitarist John Cordoni.

Months ago, the news of the reunion followed by the reissues of their two studio albums excited fans who are eagerly awaiting the release of a third CD from the band. In anticipation of this event, I thought of reviewing Abyss Calls Life: an exceptional album.

The production is astonishing, the quality of the compositions is admirable, and the technical skills are impeccable. The opening track, (An animal) Forever, is enough to immediately understand that you are facing an extraordinary work, very interesting, diverse, and inspired. The melodic line alone produces a disorienting effect that manages to recreate an unhealthy and ethereal atmosphere at the same time, where the singer's voice plays a spectral role. The way of thinking and playing black metal in Abyss Calls Life is light years away from the Scandinavian one; after listening to the second track, Vibration of burning splendor, the splendor of the absence of any repetitive pattern and the enormous creativity in terms of songwriting that continues without the slightest lapse in style throughout the remaining and lengthy 6 tracks of the album is noticeable.

The beautiful acoustic intro to the title track precedes A serpent is screaming in the abyss, which is perhaps the expressive pinnacle of the work, the track that more than any other manages to capture the essence of the main theme, namely the struggle between man and nature, our evil stepmother. Nature is hostile to us, our existence consists of being and perpetually fighting against it, but it is stronger and through arrogance, man has increasingly transformed into an artificial product. At least, that's what I thought while hearing the call of the abyss, which just like fate, has undeniable rights over us.

Avoiding further digressions, I conclude by saying that Abyss Calls Life is one of the most representative albums in the entire history of Black Metal, capable of generating indescribable sensations in the listener's soul, and consequently, I can only recommend it to you unequivocally.