The Pitch: Band from Spain mixing old school with blackened death metal for fans of Morbid Angel, Incantation, Immolation, etc.
What I Like: Necroven manage to navigate quite smoothly between death and doom extremes. They can rage with ferocious drumming or shift gears (see "The Pyre Cycle") for a much more ominous and atmospheric kind of approach. I also appreciate the level of complexity that goes into some of these riffs. Rather than just barreling forward with sheer brute strength, tracks like "Primordial Subjigation" show some finesse and technicality merged with the blunt force trauma. The thrashy solos and gruff old school vocals top it all off nicely.
What I Don't Like: I still can't help but feel like the band is holding something back. I can't pinpoint the exact element, but it keeps the band from hitting perfection.
The Verdict: Primordial Subjigation is a very evil-sounding record displaying a strong range and level of musicianship right up to the final explosion on "Serpents Crawl Stealthy", but could use a certain je ne sais pas to break through to true greatness.
Flight's Fav's: "Primordial Subjigation," "Martyrs of Repentance," "The Pyre Cycle (Burn in Solitude)"