Exmortus – Necrophony Review

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First things first, “Necrophony” is totally an album of neat guitars. I was amazed by the guitar playing of the album. Most of the moods and the vocals from the album remind me a lot of Grave Digger from “Witch Hunter” era, though the guitars tell another tale. It’s hard to express this feeling of memory. The impression I get from “Necrophony’s” sound is that it is so near what Grave Digger used to do in the past. Maybe it’s some hidden memories from the band. But, the truth is I know there is so few things between both bands. Maybe it’s the voice plus the 1980’s sounding guitars even though I have to say that Exmortus’ guitars are much more neat than Grave Digger’s from that era. As I said in the beginning, the guitars here are amazing.

Musicwise, “Necrophony” is a very varied album with instrumentals covering many styles inside Metal music plus a neoclassical slant that appear here and there. “Test of Time,” for instance has some slight details from the neoclassical guitar playing. It’s a track that the fan can notice these details but can’t tell them for sure. Behind the Old School Heavy Metal guitars there is – always – a neoclassical guitar playing as it’s noticed here. Sometimes in the leads, other times in the bridges, but there is always here some traces of neoclassic guitar playing.

Have I mentioned the guitars in here are wonderful?

I guess so, moreover because they are so varied. Get opening track “Masquerade” and its sweet and tender guitar arpeggios and strummings and compare to the stormy 1980’s driven guitars from album tittle “Necrophony.” They’re so different. By the way, in some tracks as the aforementioned, the guitars show a lost overtone from the 1980s using the Chorus pedal. Not to mention the grand finale “Moonchild” which is, in fact, a very competent cover from Iron Maiden. It’s interesting how the cover interacts with the album. If the fan doesn’t know the song, and forget about the vocals, the track passes as the album’s. The guitars here can also go from the well-used guitar riffs of “Mask of Red Death” to the neoclassical start to the instrumental “Storm of Strings” with a vulgar display of power of the guitars. This is an album of guitars indeed.

I recommend “Necrophony” to all metallers that love a very well-played album with neat instrumentals and amazing guitars.

Exmortus “Necrophony” will be released on August 25th via Nuclear Blast Records.

Track Listing:

  1. Masquerade
  2. Mask of Red Death
  3. Oathbreaker
  4. Mind of Metal
  5. Storm of Strings
  6. Test of Time
  7. Darkest of Knights
  8. Prophecy
  9. Children of the Night
  10. Beyond the Grave
  11. Overture
  12. Necrophony
  13. Moonchild

Watch “Mind of Metal” official music video:

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