Kev Rowland
To say this band has been through the wringer over the years is something of an understatement, but more than 30 years on from the debut album they are still going, and now they return with their ninth studio album. Okay, so only singer/guitarist has been there since the beginning, and bassist Marco is the only other person who has been there for five years, but they have refused to give up. It possibly doesn’t help their cause that there are multiple recording artists with the same name, and there was even another German Necronomicon in the Seventies, but these guys are a thrash band who don’t see any reason at all for changing their style.
At times they become highly melodic, with more than a hint of Helloween as they move more into power metal than their own iconic punk thrash style, and this is a shame as although interesting I would much have preferred for them to have become more abrasive and move back into the raw style with which they built their name. The result is an album that has some high points, but isn’t consistent enough to make it really stand out from the pack. While it will appeal to those who have been following them for some time, I can’t imagine it will gain them many new fans.