Thursday, June 2, 2016

Necromantic Worship - The Calling... (2016) (RIP)

Well, it pains me to say that this will be the final output from the Netherlanders Necromantic Worship, which I've always enjoyed. The reason for this is a bit strange, even to me – but it appears that frontman and project mastermind Xarangorth wants to pursue study in the occult. I certainly wish him the best of luck in that endeavor as I've found little and he may find more, but in any case, we have yet another memorable act from the band. I'm not even really sure why I should review this disc, but maybe he'll see it and know that people did enjoy the synth-influenced mystical black metal he made years ago. Xarangorth is a master of the keyboards, which really seem strong on this effort, as well as his effects. These combine together to make a Summoning type feel to the perfomance, and I've always loved that about Necromantic Worship. Also, Xarangorth has a very frightening whisper, which doesn't really sound like anyone else you'll hear out there. Or at least anyone I've heard.

These guys were one of a kind and to quit music to pursue the occult is one of the most interesting reasons for breaking up a musical project that I've ever heard. Zagan also belts out some amazing guitar leads and solos on the disc, which we'll able to hear in his other projects Countess and Morte Noire (at least we hope.) Just listening to the title track is absolutely unreal, I can't say I've ever heard a piece quite like it, with it's mixture of whispery vocal and whatever in the hell is going on in the background. Is Xarangorth performing this music in another plane? Maybe he left to jump directly into another spiritual realm by which to pursue the occult, because I can't honestly tell you where any of this is coming from. Furthermore, I'm not sure if I want to know.

I've mentioned it enough already, but I'm really going to miss this fucking band and I just feel we lost such an interesting act too soon. I wish all these guys the best of luck, and as my own occult studies have taught me; there is perhaps a realm where they continued on to greatness. Unfortunately, that's not the realm in which we currently reside. What was next? We'll never really know, I suppose. Truly a shame.

(5 Tracks, 20:00)

9/10

No comments:

Post a Comment