Into the Macabre

While my knowledge of Italian metal is certainly limited, I can’t help but think that plenty of bands from the country often had a thing for the occult and similar darker themes – something that started all the way with Death SS and later present in bands such as Mortuary Drape and Opera IX. Necrodeath weren't shying away from this topic, either. While this was certainly not unusual for thrash metal bands - it's Into the Macabre that really brings these occult tales to life - more so than any other albums I can think of.

If you’d ask me what most thrash metal albums remind me of, I’d most likely say something along the lines of ‘’moshing, headbanging and people pretending to play air guitar.’’ The atmosphere of Into the Macabre is much stronger. This has most to do with the way Necrodeath let their riffs breathe – bringing to mind the same riffing tactics not unlike Hell Awaits – see that break in ‘’Sauthenerom’’ where the guitars take a break from bludgeon the listener. Still, at its most intense this album is yet another reminder of the closeness thrash had to death metal in its developmental stages: extreme characteristics get pushed to their limits here, unlike the band’s following-up record which did appear more of a common thrash record and hence a step back in quality. ‘’Agony / The Flag of the Invented Cross’’ features a rollercoaster of riffs where even the blastbeat-driven sections seem to show a vague connection to the madness Trey Azagtoth summoned on Altars of Madness. Despite being unafraid to push boundaries, Necrodeath certainly knew how to do so in a calculated manner though. Nothing feels impulsive or improvised at the last moment here – Into the Macabre certainly has more restraint to it than the early works of say, Sepultura and Vulcano.

It should be instantly notable how Into the Macabre doesn’t sound that extreme considering the production values, which might caught one off guard if you’re used to the firmness of Pleasure to Kill or raw edges of Morbid Visions. Instead the guitar tone has a wonky quality to it, but with a lethal dose of intense riffing, it’s easy to overlook - not to mention the crazy vocal performance of this bloke named Ingo. The venomous wails of this guy are hard to ignore, as if I’m listening to an occult-obsessed freak that does his best to bring imaginary tales alive - with the intentions to freak his listeners out of course.

…And you bet he does. Aside from the usual thrashing intensity that’s present, Into the Macabre avoid the ‘’happily moshing ever after’’ effects most thrash albums possess. ‘’Internal Decay’’ comes close to the thrash/death explosion Sepultura caused circa Beneath the Remains, minus the ‘’walking these dirty streets’’ vibe of that album. Instead, a much eerier aura evokes itself here; as if you’ve just entered one of Dante’s circles of hell and there’s no way back from. Similarly, ‘’At the Mountains of Madness’’ is another creepy tune that allows the listener to prepare for the horror that’s about to get evoked. A tornado of twisted riffing emerges itself between the eerie guitar squeals and I can’t imagine thrash metal sounding more frightening than this. Literally the only peaceful moments include the opener segment of ‘’…Agony / The Flag of the Invented Cross’’ and ‘’The Undead / Agony (Reprise)’’ - a musical box of a child welcoming and ending this deceiving record.

Certainly one of the most overlooked thrash metal albums, Into the Macabre sums up what greatness thrash once possessed before the style watered down. While Necrodeath’s follow up records aren’t exactly my cup of tea, this one is a lovecraftian masterpiece. Hearing it is absolutely mandatory.