Herfst
Necrotica ()
Wydane przez Self-financedRok wydania Kraj BelgiumNapisał Wouter8
Belgian melodic death metallers Herst have undergone a steep evolution and an complete overhaul in the line-up. Founding member Bram Vancauter (lead guitar) has surrounded himself with capable musicians, of which only Christophe Vandeghinste (rhythm guitars, Excess Of Cruelty) is known internationally. The band's 2003 demo "The Fall" was a tired and tiring excerise in mundane Swedish melo-death, but after another EP in 2005 Herfst is now more potent than ever. "Necrotica" sees Herfst combining At the Gates' labyrinthine riffing ("Terminal Spirit Disease") with the relentless fury and epic heaviness of pre-"Into the Lungs Of Hell" God Dethroned and the doom and gloom of (early) My Dying Bride. Frontman Xavier combines understandable grunts (think Gorefest's Jan-Chris de Koeijer) with emotive clean vocals that sound similar to My Dying Bride's Aaron Stainthorpe. These clean sections form a good contrast to the brutality, but don't always work as well as they should. Of the 8 tracks 5 are really strong cuts. Highlights include 'An Interest in Distress', 'She Wore Death As a Shroud', 'The Vulture Feast', 'Scarlet Necromance' and closer 'Serpent Tongue'. The album is semi-concept album about a Victorian era brothel and its murderous prostitutes. Drums were recorded at Excess Studio, Rotterdam with Bouke Visser, while the vocals were tracked at Sweet & Sour Studios with Niek Tournois (Spoil Engine) at the helm. The remaining instruments were recorded at Split Second Sound in Amsterdam with Jochem Jacobs (Cirrha Niva, Devious, In-Quest, Stream Of Passion, Textures). The gloomy artwork by Bram Vancauter is amazing with a Bettie Page alike figure being central to the concept. Available as a lush 6 panel digipak (including 8 page booklet). Fans of The Vision Bleak, Septicflesh and Hypocrisy can't go wrong with this.
www.myspace.com/herfstmetal
