ALBUM REVIEW: Welcome to Bonkers – Nekrogoblikon
Metal music in general is often regarded as a fairly serious, commonly angry affair. But sometimes a band comes along and injects a heavy dose of silly alongside a healthy serving: the end result is a band like NEKROGOBLIKON. The highly anticipated fourth outing following 2015’s Heavy Mata is set to push the limits of self-proclaimed goblin metal further afield.
Mold opens with a swift and pounding rhythm section, a barrage of blast beats sit low as the raspy vocals from Nicholas ‘Scorpion’ Von Doom snarl and bark, the guitars are thick and bouncy and serve as an introduction for the chaos that follows in the rest of the album. The first single from the album, The Skin Thief, is a more traditional approach, a pummelling array of double bass drums and tremolo picked guitars riffing, blast beats splitting the sections with precision. It’s hard not to bang your head along, the groove based riff is echoed synths and at points operatic vocals giving the chaotic feel even more validity.
Dressed As Goblins elevates the chaotic feeling to new levels, bursting opening with a chorus unlikely to be forgotten, the riff is mimicked by the synths and the vocals are as gritty as ever. A tasteful solo from Alex ‘Goldberg’ Alereza takes back the silliness and showcases the band’s ability to create genuinely impressive compositions. The video released with the single is the perfect introduction to the band, a highly polished track played alongside a man sized goblin is everything a prospective fan should need.
The Magic Spider is a personal favourite. A softer creation introduced on the piano, its bouncy feel is not dissimilar from that of a nursery rhyme. That is until the harsh vocals kick in and the guitars join suit, turning the soft scene into one of frenzied riffs and chaos, soon however returning to the beautiful and serene bounce that takes the silly factor onto the main stage. The following track, Killing Time, sounds as if it should be the heaviest track on the album, but looks can be deceiving. Starting with a country lick from a banjo the song is by far the strangest on the album with the reoccurring banjo popping in between power metal riffs and below the ambience set by the synths. Parts of accordion can be heard throughout adding to the goofy factor and the rhythm section however is impeccably impressive; the drums are tight and focused and the bass thumps without getting in the way of the vocals or synths.
Welcome To Bonkers is a showcase that boundaries are made to be broken, often the results of such causes wildfire among fans but alas with NEKROGOBLIKON this is to be expected. The songs are well crafted and catchy, whilst retaining a level of aggression to satisfy the thirst for riffs. The goblin aesthetic is always going to come across to some as a complete gimmick however if that element was stripped away, you’d be left with a melodic death metal album that mixes softer elements, electronica and even country into something that’s unlike anything on the spectrum of death metal. Welcome To Bonkers is truly worthy of its name and a true melodic death metal album, as long as you believe in Goblins.
Rating: 8/10
Welcome To Bonkers is out now via self-release.
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