Necronautical
Slain In The Spirit
Candlelight
Released: August 20, 2021
Every once in a while, an album pops up and blows yours socks off; Enter Necronautical, with Slain In The Spirit.
From the get go, Necronautical explode with a ferocious and energetic composition, Ritual & Recursion, and lay out their battle plan straight away. Nasty, black metal riffs, with break-neck drumming that could probably earn them a speeding ticket if a cop was in the vicinity – and amazing vocal segments that use the atypical raspy screeching black metal screams, but also an orchestral choir and operatics that sound incredible. Great usage of keyboards and synthesizers help conjure elemental, ghostly feelings – atmospheric and cold.
Featuring members of Winterfylleth, another great black metal group roaming the lush landscapes of England, Necronautical are breathing fresh air into the decomposing corpse that is typical, paint by numbers black metal. With that said, it is worth pointing out that much of what makes black metal what it is remains present here, but with more exploration than usual. Elements that wouldn’t normally be found in this genre, less it be a band like Cradle Of Filth – a band that cares more for its aesthetic and vanity than it does its overall sound. It would be easy to mention a kindred bond with bands like Cradle Of Filth or Dimmu Borgir, but I don’t believe such a comparison would do Necronautical justice.
See Also: Wolves In The Throne Room “Primordial Arcana” Review
Often times, a band of this ilk that choses to incorporate symphonic, atmospheric or even orchestral segments does so at the sacrifice of other aspects of the genre. A lowered sense of darkness or brutality. Yet, on Slain In The Spirit, Necronautical have managed to keep their black metal roots as traditional as possible, while adding in these other soundscapes, thus forming one hell of an amazing piece of progressive black charm. It is nice to know that boundaries can still be pushed in this day and age, that there is yet room for progression and growth. At times, being a fan of extreme music feels like a life sentence, doomed to re-live the same formulaic methods over and over again. All hail the renegades.
On Hypnagogia, Necronautical once more use the operatic choir to great success, adding something supremely beautiful for what is otherwise morose and dark. The contrast is soul satisfying. The placement too, is formidable – coming in over a blast beat that continues for the first half of the vocal piece, before the band drops back to a more doom metal piece. Wonderfully crafted. Moreover, on Necropsychonautics, the vocals switch to a more guttural pitch. Not quite death metal but on the way. There are solid harmonies here again, and female operatic overlies. Fantastic guitar work and composition, with an acoustic interlude that screams The Somberlain era Dissection.
Covering Slayer is an alpha move; pulling it off is even more impressive. And when the track in question comes from Slayer’s later works, well, hats off. Necronautical really deliver on their cover of Disciple – I’d maybe even go as far as to say this is the best that piece has ever sounded – and I’m a massive Slayer fan. Although, the choice might appear to be an odd one, as there are so many seminal classic tunes that could have been used instead, with many listens, I conquer that Disciple was a solid selection. Albeit more a reimagining than a traditional cover. With that frantic opening riff, great chorus and evil lyricism, it lends itself perfectly to the world of black metal.
Pre-orders for this fantastic release can be found on Necronautical’s bandcamp, or digitally here.
For Fans Of: Dissection, Dawn, Emperor
Track Listing:
01. Ritual & Recursion
02. Occult Ecstatic Indoctrination
03. Slain In The Spirit
04. Hypnagogia
05. Pure Conciousness Event
06. Necropsychonautics
07. Contorting In Perpetuity
08. Death Magick Triumphant
09. Disciple (Slayer cover)
Pros & Cons
- Fantastic song writing
- Orchestral elements
- Progressive
