Necrowretch - Swords of Dajjal

Angry Metal Guy

It’s almost four years since I reviewed French blackened death outfit Necrowretch’s fourth record, The Ones from Hell, a record I enjoyed quite a bit. Harsh, claustrophobic death metal with a nasty blackened edge, it was almost sludgy in its sound at times. I had a few minor quibbles about the songwriting and pacing of the record, and a bigger gripe with the production, but it remained a very good record. Unfortunately, like so many bands, Necrowretch’s plans to tour The Ones from Hell went down in flames as the COVID pandemic erupted. However, the band regrouped and began working on the follow-up, Swords of Dajjal, which was three years in the making. Having swept up a new drummer and bassist along the way, was it time well spent?

Founding member, vocalist, and rhythm guitarist Vlad, together with co-conspirator and lead guitarist Wenceslas Carrieu (aka W. Cadaver and ex-Cadaveric Fumes), chose as their inspiration the Al-Masih ad-Dajjal (or simply Dajjal), the great deceiver in Islamic mythology. Dajjal will appear ahead of Judgment Day in the guise of the promised messiah and perform apparent miracles, luring many followers to his cause before he is ultimately defeated. The feel of that epic, religious, semi-demonic mythology infects Swords of Dajjal. The most overtly black metal record that Necrowretch has written, the band has not entirely abandoned its death metal roots, with the resulting mix vicious and bestial. Vlad’s vocals have taken on an even more gravelly and sepulchral tone, sound truly possessed at times (“Dii Mauri”). Although still present, the use of echoing effects that I thought were over-used on The Ones from Hell has been dialed back, allowing Vlad’s invocations to hit with more impact without all artificial adornments.

Swords of Dajjal by Necrowretch

Carrieu and Vlad’s guitars rage and enthrall in equal measure, as the melodic, yet razor-sharp riff that opens “The Fifth Door” sets out the stall early on, as do the bludgeoning tremolos of “Vae Victis.” However, down-tempo, classic heavy metal leads (back third of “Ksar Al-Kufar” and title track), as well as brief acoustic moments (“Numidian Knowledge”) pour just enough sweetness into Necrowretch’s whisperings to balance out the tempest. New-ish drummer Nicolas Ferrero (who has played live drums for the band since 2018 but only came on board full-time in 2021) is a revelation. Dynamic and deft in his touch, he’s the beating heart of Swords of Dajjal, adding both a furious energy and a progressive, delicate edge. Mixing the unsettling percussiveness of Strigoi with the wicked edges of Necrophobic, there’s also something of The Great Old Ones in Necrowretch’s sound here. Perhaps it’s the constantly fluctuating tempos or the slightly grandiose edge to some of the tracks (title track, “Ksar Al-Kufar” and “Dii Mauri” in particular) but Swords of Dajjal almost sounds like a twisted, corrupted alternate soundtrack to Dune.

Coming in at a tight 37 minutes (the same as The Ones from Hell), it’s pleasing to see Necrowretch resisting the temptation to which so many bands succumb, particularly when tackling epic mythologies like Dajjal, to over-indulge themselves. The songs feel fluid and natural from the opening notes of “Ksar Al-Kufar” to the ominous creeping close of “Total Obliteration.” There is zero bloat or filler on Swords of Dajjal, which blazes with intensity, while the production issues I had with the last record have disappeared, although something weird happens to the drums in the heaviest passages of “Vae Victus,” as they are briefly swallowed into a swampy, second wave sound that isn’t present anywhere else on the album. Other than that, it sounds great. The guitar tone is great and there is an audible groove from the bass (although new bassist Romain Gibet—R. Cadaver and also ex-Cadaveric Fumes—only joined once recording was complete), while Vlad’s vocals are the best I have heard from him.

One of the first things to really hit me in 2024, Necrowretch made a real step up from The Ones from Hell, significantly more than the 0.5 difference in score might suggest. More maturely and consistently written than that last record, Swords of Dajjal has a flow and intensity to it, which gives it an epic feeling of grandeur that belies its tight runtime. At times darkly oppressive and threatening, at others brutally crushing, it is a great record.

Rating: 4.0/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Season of Mist
Websites: necrowretch.bandcamp.com | necrowretch.net | facebook.com/necrowretch
Releases Worldwide: February 2nd, 2024

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