This is the ninth album from Carnifex, a blackened death metal/deathcore band from the US.
Following on from 2016’s Slow Death, 2019’s World War X, and 2021’s Graveside Confessions, comes Necromanteum; 42 minutes of well-crafted heaviness. So what do Carnifex have in store for us this time?
Necromanteum is an album of brutal death metal, scything aggressive deathcore, and blackened hostility, with a symphonic sheen that provides an atmosphere of macabre grandeur. These new songs follow on from Graveside Confessions, but dial back the old-school deathcore a tad in favour of the band’s blackened and symphonic elements. The end result is a very moreish and enjoyable slab of heavy music that I find superior to its predecessor.
Carnifex’s orchestral elements are well-embedded in the songs, adding great value to the overall package. These new songs use this aspect of the band’s sound both overtly and subtly; sometimes they provide shaded accents, while at others they take a starring role. Necromanteum has a large selection of juicy riffs too, helping to move Carnifex’s deathcore away from the more old-school stylings of Graveside Confessions, and closer to an old-school death metal one, (although there’s still plenty of classic deathcore here, fear not). There’s also an increase in melody, which was something lacking in its predecessor, although this is not quite up to the melodic levels of the two albums preceding Graveside Confessions quite yet.
I’ve always liked the vocals of Carnifex’s singer, but on these new tracks he sounds better than ever. His voice is versatile and charismatic, and his various roars, screams, and growls are murderously performed. This time around he has also included a greater amount of the absolutely brutal deeper growls that he’s more than capable of, which is very welcome to hear.
Necromanteum has not disappointed. It’s a very strong album and a great addition to Carnifex’s formidable discography. If you’re a fan of the style, then you won’t want to miss out on this.
Wonderbox Metal 
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