Album Review: "In the Twilight Grey" by Necrophobic
Asmoth Uccen
The originators of blackened death metal Necrophobic unleashed in 2024 their 10th studio album, In The Twilight Grey. Honestly, I didn't vibe with the album on the first listen, but after several careful listen, I found out the sick and phenomenal structure of this opus.
To start talking about this release, I'd to say some words about the artwork. The first thing that caught my attention, as on every Necrophobic album, is the Necrogram. The design inspires demonic terror, blasphemy and a twilight when the world of man will cease to existe. This beautiful artwork has been created by Jens Ryden, who has already worked with Necrophobic on several other albums.
The first track Grace Of The Paststarts with dark melody before getting into a frenetic rhythm accompanied by a majestic and energetic vocals. The song contains a few changes in the rhythm before returning to the initial ryhythm. The second track Clavis Inferni follows in the footsteps of the previous one but with more complex compositions and hellish vocals.
When I listened to As Stars Collideit was Bathory that came to mind, particularly the refrain that evokes to me Bathory's aura. Nevermind, on this song an impressive guitar solo kickass after a remarkable drumming. Furthermore, Stormcrow starts with a faster rhythm before gradually becoming heavier and at 2:40 the vocalist unleash a diabolical scream which gives a way to an epic guitar solo, my favorite on this album.
At the fifth trackShadows Of The Brightest Nighta dark atmosphere reigns supreme with a spectacular vocals performance. The song Blackened The Horizon, available on a digibook version, is a structured avalanche of power and hellish melodies that sets Necrophobic apart from the rest.
My favorite track, Mirrors Of Thousand Lakes, the atmosphere is gloomy with more brutal compositions, including melodies that are specific to swedish extreme metal veteran. Cast In Stone, is another captivating song steeped in darkness and musical violence. Nordanvindis a cold song marked by heavy metal elements and solo.
With the eponymous track In The Twilight Grey, Necrophobic solidify themselves as the masters of the blackened death metal. The song is dark and contains a crafted musical structure with phenomenal vocals that comes from the depth of hell.
In conclusion, this release gave me intense emotions and I enjoyed the extreme riffs and drumming. But the thing that attracted me more was the vocals. the album deserves more attention.
