AKRAL NECROSIS - UNDERLIGHT (album review)

*** Review originally published in AEA Zine check them out HERE*** 

AKRAL NECROSIS - UNDERLIGHT

This some rather punishing black metal from Bucharest in Europe. Akral Necrosis are a talented bunch too... this is technically accomplished black metal .... off the top of my head I can't think of that much to relate it too as it also crosses into death metal territory with some "off tap" (as we aussies like to call it) guitar work. Akral Necrosis have the usual black metal riffage and brutal as all hell drumming, but it is never sloppy or off time, this is very professional stuff. Upon listening to there are some cool ethnic scales displayed in the guitar playing (some middle eastern sounding stuff later on in the album), a great command of chordal melodies and strange dropped chords which make for a truely etherial atmosphere, which is hard to do when playing so fast. The lads came together from a bunch of 'melodic bands' and their command of melodic guitar playing certainly shines through on this release.

I have nothing to say about these guys that is a top notch release and very professionally presented music the recording quality is excellent and every note and nuance in the music comes through well. Put Simply, these guys have kicked my ass. I am in awe. It would appear I'm not the only one either as these guys have shared the stage with luminaries such as Rotting Christ, Hecate Enthroned, Ancient Rites, Absu and Septic Flesh (amongst many others)


HAIL AKRAL NECROSIS and give the guys a like on facebook at
https://www.facebook.com/pg/akralnecrosis/
or listen and download their stuff at:
https://loudragemusic.bandcamp.com/album/akral-necrosis-underlight

SOME COOL (BUT SELDOM HEARD) GEMS FROM THE UNDERGROUND

This is just a bit of fun, but as we know there are thousands of underground bands that have a lot of talent that for whatever reason never break out of their local scene to even get known in the metal scene so here's a few of them that I've heard either back in the day or some how come across in my metal journey since... here is a few gems I've uncovered... all good and all worthy of a listen ... if even only post-humously:

Sorcery (Sweden)

Ripper of a Demo Cassette - great riffage and songwriting and truely far more deserving than some of the stuff that made it big from the same era !

 

SADISTIC INTENT - USA

California's Sadistic Intent did enjoy some level of underground notoriety but I always felt they should have been bigger. Things looked up for the band in a big way when Jeff Beccera from Possessed decided to reform his band with most of the members of Sadistic Intent as backing/ touring musicians.. which worked well for the "Possessed" brand but Sadly no news from Sadistic Intent camp of late (except strangely enough an Australian gig a few years ago) since :/

RIPPING CORPSE - USA

Formed in 1987 from New Jersey , Ripping Corpse were one of the first technical death metal bands... following closely on the heels of Morbid Angel (remember this was before Canniabal Corpse) oddly enough the band did feature Erik Rutan who later went to to play for Morbid Angel

REVENANT - USA

Revenant made it past the demo stage and managed to put out 2 rather polished and musically accomplished records and the above mentioned video clip... I by chance managed to buy one slab of said vinyl back in the 90's and was blown away by it... truely legendary stuff from these guys.... They even released the albums on a then underground and largely unknown label (nuclear blast records) and still manged to avoid any media attention and eventually faded into obscurity. Shame this makes me sad, as the band had a lot to offer!