Band: Necrodemon
Title: Reclamation Of The Stygian Throne
Label: Reaper Records
Distribution: Distort Promotion
Release date: March 3rd 2011
Review: EP / MCD (re-release)

This American band was formed from the remains of Lordes Werre in 1998. The Ripping Black Death trio (Chuck Feldman-d, Travis Rose-b, and Rob Elliott-g, v) is pretty known within the underworlds, which is the right thing. This band does not belong to the so-called popular ‘elite’; Necrodemon are too superb to escape from the underground. They rule out there, they need to stay out there. And they will.
Reclamation Of The Stygian Throne shows why. The EP, originally released in 2009, sounds like the past – those who remember 2008’s Icy Fields Of Hyperion, for example, or the debut Allegiance To The End, understand the importance of this Old School interpretation of Metal. Necrodemon are tapping out of different barrels (read: Metal-genres), yet unregarding the style (ab)used, Reclamation … (or any other former release) comes with the same aim: creating the sleaziest and purest Old Style Metal from Hell!
The six tracks on this mini-recording last(ed) for twenty seven minutes and come with a messy, tinny sound and that’s a shame. My only concern…
Musically, this material is Headbang Glory. Opening track Feral And Unbound combines elements from eighties Black and Death Metal, yet not of the copycat-kind. Necrodemon do it as if we’re still into the eighties, putting their own stamp on the scene. It’s primitive, it’s dirty, it’s demonically darkened, it’s technical though simple (read: lacking of progressive experiments or experimental progression). Brothers In Blood is not different when it comes to atmosphere and approach. The song is faster and more thrashing-deadly, yet also with much more to offer than ‘just another eighties tribute band’. That slow and extremely grumpy intermezzo at the end, oh, what a sweet asset. Black Hell Apocalypse is another blackened deathrasher from Below, with the most guttural grunts and most sulphuric screams – and in spite of the mainly slow tempo, it’s the most grinding song on the recording. And this goes on: Death and Black Metal with the ugliest face, injected with elements from Thrash and Heavy Metal, combined in superior primitivism – a beautiful contrast that works out perfectly (again).
Why re-releasing this stuff? Will the band release new stuff soon? I don’t know, I don’t care. I was able to enjoy this material again after several years and that what counts.
Have fun!

--(because: re-release)/100
(originally: 85/100)

Ivan Tibos.