ALBUM REVIEW: The Fundamental Slimes And Humours – Nekrogoblikon
Metal used to be weird. Like, really weird. But in its many decades, as the art form matured and ever more creative sub-genres were mined for new sonic gold, the impact of metal’s more bizarre side dissipated as niche became norm. Fusing death metal with humppa music, while singing about trolls? Totally normal. Avant-garde jazz band turned metal, replete with screaming saxes? Standard. Swooning J-pop melodies over blistering riffs accompanied by carefully choreographed dance routines? Please, that’s so old hat.
Somewhere amongst the splendour of metal’s stranger corners sits NEKROGOBLIKON, a goblin-themed melodeath-meets-every-other-genre band – naturally. Crucially, with their smorgasbord of competing musical influences, from EDM and electronica, to pop and extreme metal, NEKROGOBLIKON stand tall as a uniquely weird outfit. Equally surprising is the fact that the loud goblin enthusiasts have continued to put out solid releases since their track No One Survives blew up nearly a decade ago; their latest, The Fundamental Slimes And Humours is perhaps the peak of their discography to date.
NEKROGOBLIKON’s genre-smashing approach is in full force from the album’s scorching opener Right Now– a song that finds a way to deftly marry guttural screaming with major key synth leads that wouldn’t be out of place in a Sonic The Hedgehog game. It sets the tone for an album that sees the band lean slightly more in to their melodic side, actively unearthing the hooks that had previously been a bit more buried amongst the chaotic music. Numbers like Golden Future and Supernovas (Exploding In Space) rely on carefully crafted, big choruses that provide a great counterbalance to the aggressive, manic barks and twisting riffs of the songs’ verses. Similarly, This Is It – one of the album’s arguably more “traditional” metal numbers – is sure to bury itself in the annals of your mind thanks to its repeating vocal parts. The Fundamental Slimes And Humours is generously packed full of memorable synth parts, vocal refrains and guitar licks that ensure it will remain lodged in your ear long after the record is over.
That’s not to say that the goblin-themed outfit have let go of their heavier roots though. NEKROGOBLIKON show their skill in finding equilibrium between electronica-tinged melodicism and crunchy guitars throughout The Fundamental Slimes And Humours. Take Yin, a melodic death metal number accompanied by Yuzo Koshiro-inspired saw leads, or Bones which sees punchy techno synths underpinned by low, chugging guitars in an industrial vibe similar to PAIN or COMBICHRIST. A Lesson In Hate on the other hand brings to mind classic FINNTROLL, bouncing with the same forcefully hostile humppa rhythms before launching in to a bleak, heavy death metal chorus – accordions have never sounded quite so menacing. Throughout, the immaculately clean production ensures that the hefty weight of the band’s punchier moments isn’t lost underneath the layers of catchy nonsense either.
If the album were just odd genre mash-ups and aggression, it’d be plenty already. But what truly makes The Fundamental Slimes And Humours shine is the sense of humour that pours out of both the music and lyrical content throughout. Musically, Going To Die is hilarious, somehow incorporating deathened influences, power metal, DREAM THEATER-esque keyboard solos and what can only be described as a tribute to WEIRD AL’s polka medleys in its five-minute running time. The lyrics match the instrumental ridiculousness, culminating with an Arnold Schwarzenegger styled voice leading some kind of musical march by its end (at that point in the album, you won’t bat an eyelid at how ludicrous it is).
When presented as cold hard text, some of NEKROGOLBIKON’s sarky and idiosyncratic lyrics may read like an edgy teenager’s journal, but in the context of equally over-the-top music, it’s hard not to crack a smile. Couplets like, “supernovas exploding in space and I’m stuck here wasting away with the rest of my race” are like the metal equivalent to ELECTRIC SIX’s discography of knowing winks, and something that is sorely lacking across metal as a whole.
NEKROGOBLIKON’s chaotic approach to genre-clash and their irreverent sense of humour won’t be to everyone’s taste. But for those who get it, The Fundamental Slimes And Humours is a joyride from start to finish.
Rating: 8/10
The Fundamental Slimes And Humours is set for release on April 1st via self-release.
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