The Necromancers Castle

It is time for more classic 80s inspired heavy metal, from Shadowland! Much like Tower, whom I have previously reviewed the newest effort of, they play traditional heavy metal and hail from New York City. So let’s see if this is also a belting cut of brilliance.

Fantastical synths and soaring lead guitars open this album with a gloriously battle-ready introduction which is brief, before spoken word accentuates the 80s feeling even further before some drums drop us into a punctual bout of NWOBHM style groove. The guitars are sharp, the bass warm, the drums hard and the vocals triumphantly cut through the instruments. All of the ingredients for some classic style heavy metal are certainly present. The odd thing here, is that they seem to take more of a British approach (instead of their native America) in how they play which is more nuanced and progressive, a little more reserved too. That said, there is still plenty of wildness and a boundless energy that is enchanting to behold.

Forging on, the instrumental delivery is robust and diverse with plenty of emphasis on the bass guitar which gives it a more authentically old school sound while the guitar has plenty of riffs and solos to keep from being overshadowed by its thunderous cousin. To nail a sound like this, the drummer has to know when to play busy or when to keep it more subtle, and thankfully that is the case here, so they aid the rest of the bands delivery rather than just bang along obnoxiously, it is clear this band is a tight-knit unit despite their short, 3 years in existence. The vocals are more haunting than the usual belting heavy metal voice, though there is plenty of that too, there is a soulfulness that gives the somewhat progressive side of the music a bit more headroom and together culminates in something a bit odd, in a really awesome and chilling way.

The production and artwork of this album could easily fool you into thinking it is an ancient gem that has been lost to the sands of time. The music doesn’t necessarily contradict that either, but indeed it is a new and bold cut of traditional heavy metal to sink our teeth into. This album is really cleverly written to somehow be obnoxiously fantastical and yet feel complex and even brooding in parts, with a sense of emotional maturity that can be emphasised upon before going back to anthemic glory without jarring us. It’s hard to explain the feeling of this record aside from just being really cool and diverse, so it’s worth checking out for that alone, without mentioning the sheer epicness of the music at hand. Rest assured that rules too!

Catchy, a bit weird and just generally a fascinating and enjoyable listen that is equally enchanting as it is fierce. There is plenty of grit and sleaze that lends to the NWOBHM-inspired touches of the record beautifully and overall just feels like a legitimately classic, timeless approach. This tale of fantasy, doom and ultimate victory is definitely a journey to embark on for all the old school metalheads out there!

Written for www.nattskog.wordpress.com