Review by Vladimir on April 9, 2024.

In the world of extreme metal, rarely do I come across anything so terrifying that it just leaves you feeling uncertain and almost confused, but it seems that I have found something of that quality. The example here is the international black/death metal Necropolissebeht, with their debut EP TTCCCLXXX, released on August 8th, 2022 via Nuclear War Now! Productions.

Necropolissebeht’s output is a very unusual and very subterranean blackened death metal, intense and bestial in its nature, that sounds like a demonic growl from the depths of the underworld. Its overall structure consists of your standard aggressive tremolo picking riffs, blast beat drums, harsh vocals and gutturals combined, that create a very disharmonic/discordant and incomprehensible result. The atmosphere of the music is like a distorted and terrifying nightmare, without shape and without form, where only darkness and agony exist, and eldritch horrors lie dormant. Throughout this entire EP, it’s like you are exploring the abyss even deeper where one should not even think to tread, and the deeper you go, even more horrors emerge. The final track 'Θῆβαι' is the only exception for being a dark ambient track without any black or death metal whatsoever, closing this nightmarish ride.

When it comes to the songwriting, there isn’t really much to say since it is all very standard and constantly following the same pattern as it goes. There isn’t really any stand out material on this EP since a lot of it is pretty much going along the same line, and you are just here for this unusual and nightmare filled ride. One can’t deny that its incredibly unintelligible and discorded output does succeed at creating a terrifying and bizarre world in your head, basically if the movie Begotten was presented in a musical form, this would be it. The only downside I have is the sound production, which is so raw, muddy and full of cave-reverb, and while it does manage to create this particular sound that conveys the atmosphere I just described, I simply cannot overlook the fact that it is a bit unpleasant to the ear.

This EP is a real nightmare when it comes to the musical form, and I think that it is pretty much like a deep dive into the abyss where you are sure to become insane once you reach the very bottom. It’s not a pleasant listening, I can guarantee that, but it is quite interesting in the sense that it created this utter horror-filled experience that is borderline noise and yet still it isn’t. If you are really looking for something that is disharmonic and unsettling, this is what you have come for.

Rating: 6.6 out of 10

Review by Adam on March 6, 2004.

Grimfist play an unoriginal yet fairly entertaining brand of extreme metal that any metalhead should have a hard time resisting. "Ghouls of Grandeur" is chockfull of different styles of metal, from death to thrash to traditional. Already the band is gaining popularity and they're gaining it fast. Could it be that old school metal is making a comeback?

Personally, I do not see what the huge fuss about Grimfist is but I will concede to just about any complaint I have regarding their music. Most of the stuff on "Ghouls of Grandeur" has already been done by countless others, yet Grimfist still finds a way to make it sound fresh. This does not, however, change the fact that the majority of the songs on this disc are not that memorable. As a whole, "Ghouls of Graneur" is very old school sounding both musically and in terms of production, and it benefits greatly because of it. Peter Tägtgren's Abyss Studios offers a crisp, raw sound that few other studios can reproduce.

The musicianship isn't anything out of the ordinary. It is certainly obvious that each of these guys has been playing for a long time, so it was no surprise to me that the playing on "Ghouls of Grandeur" was incredibly tight and brutal. Unfortunately, I do not really hear anything beyond that. While Grimfist is sure to gain a sizable and loyal following, I do not see myself giving this album too many spins in the future. Overall, this is a modest debut from a group of talented musicians. It is good but I know that they are capable of better.

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Musicianship: 7
Atmosphere: 9
Production: 9
Originality: 7
Overall: 8

Rating: 8 out of 10