J-Man Drawing inspiration from the myths of pre-Christian cults present in the Southern hemisphere, the latest effort from Italian gothic metal act Ecnephias is a lyrically rich exploration of a topic that isn't talked about nearly enough in metal. Entitled Necrogod, this 2013 observation is the fourth full-length album from Ecnephias, and although they began life as a fairly lethal extreme metal act, this sounds like a very melodic, symphonic, and gothic brand of metal with a few elements of death metal. The riffs here are pretty simple and melodic, but if I'm being honest, not very many of them are particularly interesting to these ears. Although some of the guitar leads and keyboard flourishes grab my attention, the sleek riffs lack any sort of bite in my opinion.

Some of the choices in arrangement are also a bit questionable, particularly the use of growling vocals in some of the more mellow sections. Listening to the savage growling vocals in a track like “Ishtar” - a fairly laid back, piano-led piece - reveals that something is out of place, and although I'm not too impressed by Mancan's clean vocals on Necrogod, the growls often feel misplaced on this album. Ecnephias are not a very heavy band at this point, and while I'd like to hear what they could do in a more melodic and gothic style, Necrogod is not a particularly successful attempt. It's not a bad album, but it's not something I would easily recommend either.

Kev Rowland This has be some of the best album artwork I have come across for a while. Not only is it a stunning piece of work in its’ own right (care of Pierre-Alain D), but it fits perfectly with the lyrical theme, which is inspired by the ancient pre- Christian cults of the southern hemisphere of the Earth: Mesopotamia, Egypt, Africa, India, South America. The dark brooding colour scheme also gives an idea of what is on offer here. The fourth full-length album from this Italian band can best be described as a mix of heavy, doom, death, black, gothic and, occasionally, folk elements with a very personal ‘mediterranean’ and ‘theatrical’ touch. Mancan’s vocals contain a strength and passion that is often missing from some bands, and the ability to sing in both ‘clear’ and ‘growl’ is a definite benefit as it adds an additional touch to a band that is definitely channelling the spirit of Paradise Lost, but in a way that definitely is way more Mediterranean than British.

Mancan also invited Sakis from Rotting Christ to sing on “Voodoo (Daughter Of Idols)”, the longest song on the album at more than 7 minutes, and this adds an additional element to the band. The album itself both starts and ends with an instrumental, so it feels bookended, but I think that aspect works. But, I am not sure about the whole album itself as it feels as if something is missing, although I can’t quite put my finger on what it is. There are times when the band come across as an all-conquering force of nature whereas on others they feel far more shallow and lightweight. It is quite possible that this album needs far more plays than I have the opportunity to give it, but at worst it is an interesting diversion that warrants further investigation, and at best maybe it is better than I think it is. www.code66.net