Time Signature
Pulse of Towering Madness...
Genre: death metal
Necrovation's early releases were heralded for their old school raw death metal approach. Things have changed quite a bit since then, and the music on their eponymous sophomore effort is very different from the style of death metal they are known for.
We are still dealing with old school death metal with a lot of killer riffage, and there is a certain rawness to some of the passages in some of the songs (featuring blastbeats and the whole kit and kaboodle). However, these elements now figure just as components in a much bigger picture. Every track features a host of different riffs - some aggressive and brutal while others are quirky and kind of progressive (with a couple even having a Pestilence-like jazzy feel to them). Rather than the typical chaotic guitar solos of old school death metal (nothing wrong with them, by the way), Necrovation make use of very melodic guitar solos on this album, which work excellently with the rest of the music.
Interestingly, the guitars have more of a twang to them than the more typical brutality informed sound, but that is a plus in this case, as this twang goes well together with the compositions on the album. One thing that is particularly interesting is the use of simple stomping rhythms that create a nice contrast to the more quirky and out-there passages. Necrovation have definitely developed into a band capable of experimenting with various textures and expressions.
"Necrovation" is characterized by en eclectic eccentricism, and, for my money, it is an innovative and original death metal album.