ALBUM REVIEW: Dead Gods – Nekroí Theoí
When you move past the novelty of the genre, brutal death metal and the surrounding bog-like genres can become pretty uninspiring. It’s a really difficult line to walk, given when you pass a point on the spectrum musicality goes out the window in replacement for anything that’ll make things heavier. There is also the constant in-jokes about how dirty a word prog is around this neck of the musical woods. All jokes aside though, a sensible dose of progressive thinking can actually be a Satan-send, with NEKROÍ THEOÍ being a case and point.
Having come onto the scene with the fantastically named Orobourus of Shit, the Florida death metal group made it abundantly clear that they are not like the rest. NEKROÍ THEOÍ, being made up of members from progressive death metal outfit MONOTHEIST among others, seem to have their heads screwed on when it comes to the incredible musicality of their debut, Dead Gods. Doxology is a breath of fresh air in the grim death metal world, offering a swelling, atmospheric intro that also serves as a tone setter for the debut. It’s not a short time either, being a full length track that even boasts some clean vocals to really unsettle the listener, ramping up the anxiety felt as you wait for the inevitable crash. It shows that NEKROÍ THEOÍ have no issues holding back the attack, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
And when they strike, it is with lethal intent. The Foul Eucharist is a maelstrom of guttural vocals, clipping drums, and frantic lead guitars interlaced with pummelling rhythms. It’s an impressive display of power and one that is amplified thanks to the dormant intro providing the necessary build. The clean vocals that precede the chaos of Simony Of Hollow Christs further send home the musicality on display in Dead Gods, and just adds another dimension to a band that have already surprised enough this early into their debut. As Dead Gods continues though there is a definite sense that NEKROÍ THEOÍ tried to over stretch themselves.
There is not just one, but three songs that all eclipse the 10 minute mark, which definitely turns Dead Gods into a bit of a slog given the nature of the music. Being sonically brutalised for over an hour can be a difficult time, and although moments like the vocal stand outs on Blue Shirt White Hood make for inspiring moments, it doesn’t counter the fact that the lengthier songs take some getting used to. The Name Above All Names starts of with intent but it quickly loses steam, and the closing grooves simply serve as background noise and a bit of filler given the first half of the song is where the meat is. Ancient Of Days and the finale Dead Gods fair a bit better but still fall the same hurdles of maintaining the fever pitch that they hit at earlier points of the album.
NEKROÍ THEOÍ are already an arms length ahead of the rest of the pack. The musicality they lace throughout their rampant brutal death metal simply deepens the experience and elevates the brutishly heavy moments that are peppered in every song. NEKROÍ THEOÍ are clearly a different beast, and Dead Gods is a fantastic starting point for a band bringing influences that most would never even touch with a barge pole. If you are a fan of the heavy, heavy noise, then NEKROÍ THEOÍ will decimate and have you crawling back for more.
Rating: 8/10
Dead Gods is set for release May 31st via Prosthetic Records.
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