Necrophobic - Death to All
Regain Records
Black/Death Metal
8 songs (44'45")
Release year: 2009
Necrophobic, Regain Records
Reviewed by Alex

Not that familiar with Swedish Necrophobic earlier works I was smitten by Hrimthursum, the album which saw the light of day after a four-year break and perhaps a period of some hesitation within the band. Some of the more die-hard Necrophobic fans did not quite meet Hrimthursum with the same fanfare and tried to convince me otherwise, but just having recently re-listened to the album I am sticking to my guns. Needless to say then that I was very promptly rushing to the scene, trying to sample what aptly titled Death to All had for me in store.

I remember being rather tired at the time of my first Death to All spin-through. Beset by some of my business problems I was looking for an enigmatic submersion into the darker side, but instead received a brutal shove through all things deathy. I have attributed the first impression to my exhaustion, and put the album away for a while, trying to come back to it later.

My mind refreshed, I have to say that the initial impression still holds, especially running through the album’s more vicious predatory cuts like La Santisima Muerte. It could be that the lyrical subject matter is calling for it, but Death to All is mostly a blistering relentless death metal oriented record, in the general tradition of Swedish death/black art. In short, the album sounds too Marduk to my ears. It is somewhat one-dimensional, lacks mystery, and presents little in a way of those captivating Eternal Winter riffs Hrimthursum delivered. The double bass opening of … for Those Who Stayed Satanic are meant to rouse the masses and rally the troops to the cause, but it is a bit hard to do when your following blasting parts lack ideas.

There is no question that Death to All is thick on sound, and is filled to the brim with intensity. Whatever power and anger Hrimthursum lacked, Death to All compensated for it abundantly, but sacrificed memorability in the process. It is the sweeping solo of the opener Celebration of the Goat and the end-of-the-world outros of Revelation 666 and … and Jesus Wept which I will remember the most from Death to All. Executed flawlessly, see layered thrash of The Tower, the album needed more of those chilling blood curdling moments to make the more lasting impact. Those brooding instants seemed a little forced on Death to All, switching away from pounding to darkness appearing too obvious on Temple of Damnation.

Those who yearned for more brutality and ferociousness from Necrophobic will certainly have their fill. Perhaps I got to know the band at a slightly different moment in their career, but just when Marduk and Dark Funeral began to realize that it is not all about speed and aggressiveness, Necrophobic moved in that direction. I could stand to be talked down by the crowd more deeply rooted in Necrophobic past.

Killing Songs :
Celebration of the Goat, Revelation 666, Death to All
Alex quoted 75 / 100
Other albums by Necrophobic that we have reviewed:
Necrophobic - Dawn of the Damned reviewed by Goat and quoted 80 / 100
Necrophobic - Mark of the Necrogram reviewed by Goat and quoted 85 / 100
Necrophobic - Womb Of Lillithu reviewed by Neill and quoted 70 / 100
Necrophobic - Hrimthursum reviewed by Alex and quoted 87 / 100
Necrophobic - Bloodhymns reviewed by Jack and quoted 75 / 100
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