In Italy, it’s very difficult to find a very good Metal band, in a point, you think there can not exist any Metal music at all. But with few exceptions, someone can find a few worthy bands, mainly in Power Metal, in Doom, Gothic and Folk Metal. In Black Metal music, Necrodeath culminate the Italian scene. Formed back in 1984 and influenced by Slayer, Possessed, Kreator, Celtic Frost and Bathory, Necrodeath split-up in 1989 and they have reformed nine years later. Many of their past albums, like “Into the Macabre, “Fragments of Insanity”, “Matter of Evil” and few albums of the ’00s like “Black as Pitch”, “100% Hell” and “Phylogenesis” are some of the best albums for the Italian scene, for sure. Nowadays, Necrodeath released, their tenth full-length album, “Idiosyncrasy”.

But, to be honest, “Idiosyncrasy” wasn’t good for my expectations. Although this album is more “Slayerized” and this is clear in many songs and Necrodeath have many capable music compositions, the upshot for me is that it’s a quite boring album. It is not the raging Blackened Thrash Metal as it was in previous albums. It’s not the album that will make you unstuck from your chair. The album has the occult atmosphere of the past, very good drums and guitar riffs (in Part II for example), to speak fair. But in many songs the vocals sound like they don’t fit upon the riffs. Also, the songs seem to be exactly the same in some parts (Part II and Part IV have the same break down with bass solo) because “Idiosyncrasy” may be a concept album.

It’s one song separated in seven parts. But the variety of tempos and the sudden changes are difficult to attract the interest, in my opinion. Several bands in the past, released concept albums and many of these albums keep the listener awake. Necrodeath, uses a lot of innovative points, like groove melodies in the guitars, but this apparent music experiment isn’t digestible for me. Now, to the positive things of the album. “Idiosyncrasy” has more occult elements. like growls, whispers and other sounds, from its predecessor albums. The production is excellent too and they added some acoustic guitar points in their music, that are giving a nice contrast between the melodies.

Part IV has very good and stunning guitar riffs from the middle until the end, though it is not the best song of the album. The tracks that are distinguished, are the last three tracks and they remind somehow the old Necrodeath. Part V starts with whispers, it has very dynamic blastbeats and mature guitar riffs. The female vocals boost more atmosphere, and the muting riff along with the vocals make it a good Blackend Thrash song. The most “quick” song, is Part VI. The blastbeats, the guitar riffs and the solos , are exactly a Thrash Metal part. The final part starts with church chants and psalm, so the majestic atmosphere is clear. It has very good riffs and drums too. Also the vocals are equally good and the song is distinguished in some way.

But the last tracks, don’t help the whole album to escape from mediocrity. Necrodeath had a characteristic thing in the ’00s, one album was a masterpiece, but the following album was a mediocre album. The same rule applies in “Idiosyncrasy” too, after the masterpiece “Phylogenesis” and the equally good cover album “Old Skull”. ”Idiosyncrasy” comes from the Greek word for temperament, and means the particular way in which reacts and expresses someone his psychic world. Maybe that way, I wasn’t able to understand it.

Track List Line Up
01 Idiosyncrasy – Part I
02. Idiosyncrasy – Part II
03. Idiosyncrasy – Part III
04. Idiosyncrasy – Part IV
05. Idiosyncrasy – Part V
06. Idiosyncrasy – Part VI
07. Idiosyncrasy – Part VII
Flegias – Vocals
Pier Gonella – Guitars
Gianluca Fontana – Bass
Marco “Peso” Pesenti – Drums