Necronomicon originally hails from Quebec in a northern area called the “Fjord of Saguenay.” The band later relocated in the city on Montreal. Increased exposure saw them suddenly sharing the stage with larger acts like Cradle of Filth, Dimmu Borgir, Behemoth, and Morbid Angel. But in 2016 the "eternal trio," now working with the always exceptional Season of Mist label, has worked to release Advent of a Human God. And while imperfect, this album is certainly an epic blast of symphonic death metal worthy of playlist rotation with any of the bands named above.
After the obligatory tension-builder intro, the title track sets the pace at a high mark. "Advent of the Human God" is fine track full of bombastic symphonic flourishes and blackened vocals and guitar. If are to compare the group's sound most closely with that of any one of their peers, it would probably be Dimmu Borgir. Necronicon share the same thirst for theatricality and evil atmosphere. However, the vocals and guitar at times can be quite a bit more in the death metal vein, as exhibited in particular on tracks like "The Golden Gods."
And while this track does have a ripping solo, I will break at this example to comment on the album's pitfall: inconsistency. While the larger scope of ambitious tracks like "Unification of the Four Pillars" and "Crown of Thorns" feel lush and full of energy, there are others that fill a bit unfinished in comparison. Furthermore, these moments commit the sin of making me look to the skip button. Note that none of the songs here are what I would call bad, but there are a few that might fit the "uninteresting" label.
But pushing forward, I want to be sure to state that for every dud, there are a solid 3 to make up for it. Minute for minute, I spend much more time admiring the expressive blackened death growls, meaty hooks, and endlessly powerful drums than looking at my watch. Again, "Crown of Thorns" comes to mind with the slight groove of the core riff and relentless double-bass. More great soloing on this one as well. One more? The closing track, "Alchemy of the Avatar" is all-around quite stellar and was what convinced me to give this one a few more go-arounds.
And so, despite some flaws and rough edges, I give Necronomicon a high passing grade on their latest achievement. It's a solid listen and actually grew on me day by day as I came back to it. I highly recommend you give it a chance yourself. Really, the only thing that kept this from making the "B Grade" was the lack of originality. It's still plenty fun, and the musicianship is above-average both in writing and playing. the album came out last Friday, so check it out.
https://necronomiconbm.bandcamp.com/