NECROMANTIA: Scarlet Evil, Witching Black

Cover	Release	Style
	2005-11-21 (re-release 1995) box 2006-01-06	black metal
	Label
	www.black-lotus-recs.com / www.rockinc.nl
	Website
	www.necromantia.tk
	Contact
	-
	Playing Time	Cat. N°
	54:00	BLRCD104
	Review by / Translated by	Rating
	Vera	8,5/10
nederlands	Review
Necromantia was founded in 1989 and can be considered as one of the pioneers of the extreme metal scene in Greece. The band should be working at a new album now, but in the meantime their previous material will be re-released by Black Lotus Records. This happens in a limited edition of 1000 pieces in digipacks, with a new mastering and new artwork of Timo Wuerz. Every album contains a cover as bonus track. These four re-releases can be bought together in a box, available at the homepage web store of Black Lotus Records. Necromantia plays quite raucous black metal, in which the function of the rhythm guitar was replaced by an eight string bass. Only this already gives them a unique sound. We first have a look at ‘Scarlet Evil, Witching Black’, originally released in 1995. The band existed of five musicians at that time. Every song has enough diversity and breaks to make things really exciting. ‘Devilskin’ starts with a child’s song, but soon real chunky, brutal black metal with snapping, biting vocals resounds. Halfway ‘Black Mirror’ we have got a slower part and spoken fragments. Towards the end there is a magnificent, sonorous guitar solo in the vein of ‘Dreaming In Red’ of Dismember. The dominance of deep, chunky bass guitars is inserted in a marvellous way. But there are also majestic keyboards, like in ‘The Arcane Light Of Hecate’ which is really threatening and it has a sublime saxophone part. Daring and great! The general penchant is dark and menacing and towards the end of the album, we even got more surprises, such as horns with apocalyptic strings that pass into heavy bass textures in ‘Pretender To The Throne (Opus II: Battle At The Netherworld)’. ‘Spiritdance’ is another stunner, this time with a rather dragged pace, common vocal parts, outstanding keyboard layers and a surprising piece of jazzy acoustic guitar. The cover on this album is Manowar’s ‘Demon’s Whip’. Like you can read this is an album with a perfect balance between heaviness and sophisticated details.
Musicians
1995: Magnus Wampyr Daoloth: bass, vocals Baron Blood: 8 string bass, bass solos Inferno: synth, piano Divad: solo and acoustic guitars Yiannis “The Worshipper Of Pan”: sax, percussions 2005: The Magus: bas, vocals Makis-8: string, bass Lethe: drums
Tracklist
Devilskin (5:51) Black Mirror (6:32) Pretender To The Throne (Opus 1: The Userper’s Spawn) (5:28) The Arcane Light Of Hecate (4:21) Scarlet Witching Screams (5:28) The Serpent And The Pentagram (5:20) Pretender To The Throne (Opus 2: Battle At The Netherworld) (7:52) Spiritdance (6:26) Bonus track: Demon’s Whip (Manowar cover) (6:30)
Discography
Black Arts Lead To Everlasting Sins (1991) Crossing The Fiery Path (1993) Scarlet Evil, Witching Black (1995) Ancient Pride (1997) IV: Malice (2000) Covering Evil (2001)


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