Death metal? Check. Egyptian themes? Check. Nile? Nope.
That’s right, along with Apophis, there were a few other acts near the end of
the millennium that were pumping out fantastic Egyptian lore mixed with death
metal. That being said, this fascination with Egyptian mythology was not some
sort of, wide based movement that was all the rage. It was rather, a niche within
the niche of death metal, but those who entered that realm seemed to have
success with the formula. One such act was the band, Necronomicon.
Now, although their album “Pharaoh of the Gods” would indeed
fit the Egyptian death formula, the band itself was not permanently rooted with
such theme. Their overall lyrical concept would consist of various mythological
themes such as Native American, as well as occult and Lovecraft material. However,
although this may be the only truly Egyptian immersed album the band has
released, it easily ranks in one of my top picks for the themed content.
First, the music on “Pharaoh of the Gods” creates a very
dark and “Egyptian” sound with pounding drums and crushing guitars as well as
addition sound effects such as the rainstick. However, aside from a few
traditional Middle-Eastern sounds, the band dose not solely rely on those effect
to create their sound. Instead they focus on producing crushing death metal
first and foremost with said effect added to the mix to help create layers to
their overall atmosphere.
The Drums play at blazing speeds with a level of power that
is present throughout the album, while the
guitars match their ferocity every step of the way. The guitars are very thick
and help create heavy rhythms and chugging riffs, but there is more to their sound
than just power. As I said, the tone and tuning of the guitars, when
harmonizing with the drums and Middle-Eastern effects, helps transport you to
the base of the Pyramids as they do an excellent job inspiring the Egyptian
imagery “Pharaoh of the Gods” is built upon. That, along with both very
guttural vocals and the inclusion of clean, female vocals on a few songs,
really bring the music together into a cohesive product.
“Initiation” is a perfect example of how the band pulls all
these elements together. The song opens with some subtle effects, that lull you
into a peaceful state and then suddenly, an explosion of drums and guitars rain
upon you. Not long after, Catherine Leblanc’s hypnotic vocals enter the fray
and add some nice contrast to the energetic environment. The, you get the first
of many catchy riffs and then, Rob Tremblay’s vocal take command. It’s the
combination of every instrument, effects and vocals that give this song and the
album itself its identity as well as, breathe life into the Egyptian theme.
This is not a Nile clone and if I’m being honest, Nile plays
the formula to a much better degree. What Necronomicon displays is an affinity
for the Egyptian mythology that they decided to included their interests into
their music. Overall, “Pharaoh of the Gods” may not appear on the top 100 lists
of death albums of all time, but what they provided here is a quality release,
both in songwriting and musicianship.
Highlights: “Initiation” “The Guardian” “Revelation”
Rating: 3.5
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