Band: Nefarium

Title: Haeretichristus

Label: Agonia Records

Distribution: Displeased Records

Release date: March 2008

Review: CD

Even though Nefarium hail from Italy, this band seems to be extremely influenced by the Swedish scene. After the album Praesidium, Haeretichristus is the second studio full length recording by this horde, that consists of Carnifex (screams, guitars, lyrics), Adventor (lead guitars and music), Summum Algor (drums) and Negatium Corporis (bass guitars). The album was recorded at the Omega Gates Studio and mixed at Hitfire by Erik Lidbom , who did also work with, for example, Dark Funeral . And it might be predictable, yet Haeretichristus goes on where Praesidium ended. This means: fast and intense Swedish-oriented Black Metal, strongly influenced by bands as, especially, (early) Dark Funeral, Setherial and Misteltein / Fall Ov Serafim, or bands as Mörk Gryning, Noctes and Lord Belial. And in a way, I must even think, from time to time, to bands / formations as Diabolicum, In Aeternum and Marduk. Indeed, this shows an enormous lack of originality, I'm afraid. On the one hand, I don't care, because most Italian bands that want to sound Swedish, try to copy bands as In Flames, Darkane, The Haunted or At The Gates, so it's sort of refreshing to have a Setherial -clone out there. On the other hand, however, I do miss an own face. The band does know how to perform their strong compositions, yet the variation isn't that evident either. All songs are fast, which isn't that bad, yet I do miss a few hold-backs , a few tempo-slow-downers. But, as said before, Haeretichristus is, overall, of a superb quality (in both sound and performance) and that's just nice. Nothing more, certainly nothing less! Oh yes, there are guest performances by (you never guess): Chaq Mol (Dark Funeral) and Infaustus (Setherial).

84/100

Ivan Tibos.