Review by Felix on April 28, 2021.

Necrodeath disappeared after two convincing albums. The more or less legitimate successor of the band, Schizo, followed another approach due to its more progressive songwriting. Inter alia because of this new direction, the harsh early outputs of Necrodeath never fell into oblivion. Therefore, the comeback of the group was just a question of time. Drummer Peso and guitarist Claudio formed the well-known backbone of the new line-up. But the most conspicuous contribution was delivered by the new lead vocalist called Flegias. This guy was obviously insane - and no doctor was around in order to cure him. His rasping and hysterical voice appeared as a sonic cluster bomb. The omnipresent nagging characterised the album in an impressive manner. This led to a special situation. On the one hand, the band offered an almost forgotten track from 1985 ('Iconoclast'), on the other hand the vocals had the effect of a rejuvenation cure. Without tearing down the bridge between the past and the present, Necrodeath had generated a new sound. Thus, maybe they did not find the solution to the squaring of the circle. Nevertheless, due to this development, the musicians had all the trumps in their hands - and they knew how to use them. Eleven diversified thrash hammers documented this.

After the passable, but surprisingly unimposing opener, the band was taking off like a rocket. 'Flame Of Malignance' shone with razor-sharp riffs, abrupt breaks and a devastating chorus. Without lacking in depth, the track came as a redefinition of ferocity. The majority of the further songs also offered a truly furious approach. But sinister acoustic parts, for example the first tones of 'Black Soul', were also carefully integrated. Thanks to the musicianship and the technical competence, Necrodeath was able to combine the different song parts to a very fitting overall package. The Italians got wild like former prisoners who had been behind bars for much too long. The skillfully handled tempo changes led to a dynamic appearance of the album. The same applied to the different demonic background voices that showed up. Flegias could not complain about insufficient support. And, equally important, I also had no reason to lament in view of a lot of fantastic details that showed up. I am speaking, for instance, of the outstanding first riff of 'Experiment In Terror' or the morbid opening of the quasi title track 'At The Root Of Evil'. The threatening atmosphere of this tune, especially during its mid-tempo parts, was fascinating. If you want to make a horror movie, this song could be your soundtrack.

The tracks were ennobled by an archetypical thrash sound. Sharp and dominant guitars characterised the songs as well as the different moods of Flegias. The truth, let me say without wishing to offend anyone, was that no other Italian band had been able to follow in the footsteps of Necrodeath during their absence. In view of this circumstance, their return was more than overdue. And it was good that they did not reappear in the original line-up. Their former singer did not fail to make a solid job. But the performance of Flegias marked the difference. It is not a hollow phrase that Necrodeath were stronger than ever before.

Rating: 9.3 out of 10

Review by Felix on August 26, 2024.

The Teutonic five-piece called Vidargängr originates from Leipzig, the city where the most important demonstrations took place in order to abolish the Communist regime of the GDR. These demonstrators will have my respect eternally because it needs a lot of courage to participate in actions against a totalitarian system. Honecker and his assholes had created “A World That Has to Be Opposed”. This finding brings me back to Vidargängr, especially their eponymous album from 2016. That output is also based on courage, but of course, it’s an act of less courage that was needed for the album’s creation. But the uncompromising restlessness of the band is impressive and one needs a courageous mindset to put the focus almost exclusively on hyper-speed during (only “No Acquiescence” offers party mid-tempo). This approach gives the songs a solid touch of insanity which is underlined by the hoarse screaming of the lead vocalist. He seems to herald Armageddon, his voice combines fear, hatred, despair and anger.

I admit that I did not find immediate access to the album. I had to get used to the noisy, somehow misty storm of emotions that Vidargängr create, especially in “Burning Abyss”. It is still not among my highlights, but I guess I have understood its structure now… and it is definitely not a bad quasi-opener. Anyway, the following tracks allow even simple minds to fall in love with them quickly. “No More Lust” and “Contempt” show a typical form of German black metal, picking up the explosiveness of the most raging parts of bands such as Nagelfar or Cold Earth. Sometimes a dramatic note shimmers through the songs – the legacy of Richard Wagner appears in many forms… Both tracks are great and demonstrate that the band is able to manage the self-created chaos. And, just like the other tracks, they benefit from a quite unorthodox yet suitable production. This is no (static) wall of sound, but a dynamic mix that spits on the conventions of the genre without sounding bloodless or feeble. Of course, the bass guitar can be smelled or felt rather than heard, but we have long since become accustomed to such ridiculous problems.

The more I see through the foggy compositions, the more I like them. “A World That Has to Be Opposed” has the potential to grow on the listener. For instance, it’s a cool experience to become more and more familiar with the fiery guitar lines of “No More Lust”. Amazingly enough, the permanent speed is not at the expense of depth, which unfortunately is often the case. Moreover, it is exciting to inhale the dark atmosphere of the album deeper and deeper, even in its moments which border on dissonance or during the closer that reflects agony in its most exposed form. With that said, it is up to you whether or not you want to dive into an album which is based on one-dimensional stubbornness on the one hand (they even “vidargängrized” the Dødheimsgard cover), but a fine instinct for the creation of a black metal hailstorm on the other hand. I can only recommend to give it a try, because their stubbornness deserves much more applause than the one with which the communists in the GDR ultimately dug their own grave.

Rating: 8.4 out of 10