Wednesday 17 August 2022

The Necromancers - Where The Void Rose (Album Review)

Release Date: September 16th 2022. Record Label: Self Released. Format:CD/DD/Vinyl

Where The Void Rose - Tracklisting

1. Sunken Huntress

2. Crimson Hour

3. The Needle

4. Orchard

5. Where The Void Rose

6. Over The Threshold


Members


Basile Chevalier-Coudrain - lead vocals, rhythm guitar

Robin Gevais - lead guitar

Benjamin Rosseau - drums

Simon Evarite - bass guitar


Review


Not only are The Necromancers back with their third album, ‘Where The Void Rose’, which is bloody fantastic, they also have a new lineup. Basile Chevalier-Coudrain is the new singer, as well as rhythm guitarist, and he is a great addition to the band. Apart from his appearance nothing has changed within the band, well apart from the music being even better than before. Call it natural progression but the way the guys have moved from the debut ‘Servants Of The Salem Girl’ through ‘Of Blood And Wine’ to where they are now with ‘Where The Void Rose’ shows how much should be done. Find your sound and hone it while building up something real strong and keep pushing the boundaries while retaining your core. That’s what The Necromancers have been doing all along with a blend of NWOBHM, doom and proto-metal which now has reached a whole new level.


This fantastic album starts with ‘Sunken Huntress’ which comes across as early Iron Maiden playing heavy metal doom, if that makes sense, and it’s bloody brilliant. The way the song flows filled with guitar harmonies and riffs, it’s impossible to not be swept away. ‘Crimson Hour’ follows and it is slow and mesmerising yet it brings a lot of heaviness to the equation. New singer Basile shines immensely here whether it is in the slower parts or the bone-crushing sections, he really comes to the fore. Being the longest song at over 8 minutes, the band allows themselves to move so elegantly between tempos and emotions…amazing, indeed! Listen to those riffs about a minute in! Prior, ‘The Needle’ was seductive and alluring but then those riffs kick in and I am floored. Harmonies abound as well adding layers to an already fantastic creation. 


A great fuzzed-out start initiates ‘Orchard’ keeping it trippy and suggestive. Eventually the rest of the band joins in staying on the slower course but adding layers of heaviness. Still it’s melodic and grabs your attention and holds it. Don’t know how they do it but it’s phenomenal! The title track, ‘Where The Void Rose’ follows starts off dark and minimalistic with a wonderful bassline leading the way. Suddenly everything erupts unleashing a flow back and forth between tempos, and this plays so well on emotions. An already great song the last couple of minutes are amazing in it’s modern take on MWOBHM….love it! Album closer ‘Over The Threshold’ is a strange but fantastic beast which really shows The Necromancers’ progression. Mid-tempo in the verses, heavy crushing levels in the choruses with out of this world riffs throughout. And the band moves so elegantly back and forth between this!


I hope ‘Where The Void Rose’ is the album that catapults The Necromancers to full-blown stardom because they deserve that, pure and simple. Their new recording proves this over and over again. Every single spin uncovers more things and opens up more avenues where The Necromancers unveils their fantastic world. Music this great should be much more lauded than it is. In a world where music, like so many other things, is disposable it takes extreme talent to grab someone’s attention and hold it and make that person come back to an album constantly. And this, The Necromancers have in abundance, and then some, cause I keep returning for more and it continuously rattles my mind. Can’t ask for more than that! Thank you, guys, for unleashing this beast on us…fantastic!


Words by Håkan Nyman


Thanks to Claire at Purple Sage PR for the promo.


Where The Void Rose will be available to buy on CD/DD/Vinyl from September 18th 2022.


Links


Facebook | BandCamp