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

The Necromancers - Of Blood And Wine (Album Review)

Release date: October 05th 2018. Label: Ripple Music. Format: CD/DD/Vinyl

Of Blood And Wine – Tracklisting

1.Join the Dead Ones 05:34

2.Erzebeth 12:19

3.Of Blood and Wine 02:35

4.Secular Lord 05:34

5.Lust 09:52

6.The Gathering 07:08

Members

Tom - Vocals & Guitar

Rob - Lead Guitar

Simon - Bass

Ben - Drums

Review

The Necromancers second album Of Blood And Wine continues their highly progressive sound against the Doom/Stoner Metal spectrum with heavy touches of NWOBHM. The album has real flair for 70/80s classic heavy metal sounds but with a more leaner modern sound. That’s a very hard combination to pull off but The Necromancers do this with relevant ease.

This album shouldn’t really work as the band never stick to one sound. They could have easily confused the listener but to the band’s credit they create a dynamic and powerful release where all the songs all sound very different to each other.

The album is very OTT and dramatic in various places but that’s what gives The Necromancers their well deserved reputation within the scene. As the band have their own vision and are not afraid to experiment with their own sound but also what people come to expect from Doom/Stoner Metal in general.

Opening song – Join The Dead Ones – has a retro Doom/Occult sound though the band play a more progressive hard rock sound towards the very end. The instrumental work is very gloomy and lives up to the Occult Rock/Doom Metal aspect of the band’s overall sound.

Second song – Erzebeth – is a 13 minute epic that plays out like a mini Doom/Stoner Rock opera. This is definitely the standout song on the album. This song gives the album a more old school Doom Metal feel and equally a more modern Stoner Metal vibe as well. The dual guitars smacks of Thin Lizzy/iron Maiden TWIN GUITAR worship and that’s no bad thing in my book.

Third track – Of Blood And Wine – is a gloomy acoustic song which shows a different side to The Necromancers. The song has a slight Folk Rock vibe which has quite an emotional edge. Shame it’s on the short side as I was really digging this snog before it abruptly ended. I would like to see the band explore this kind of music further on future releases.

The second half of the album is equally as good as the first half. The standout songs have to be Secular Lord and The Gathering. As both contain an epic gloomy landscape within them.

Overall this is another highly majestic release from both Ripple Music and The Necromancers. This is still The Necromancers show and they prove this album they have a real creative dynamic flair that you don’t hear from many bands today.

Excellent and Highly Recommended.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Richard at Sheltered Life PR for the promo. Of Blood And Wine is available to buy on CD/DD/Vinyl now via Ripple Music.

Links:

Facebook | BandCamp