Necros Christos is a band as loved as it is hated. The main reason for this divide likely lies in their interlude rituals between songs. These transitions—comprising ceremonial sounds and occasional acoustic passages—undoubtedly give Necros Christos a unique aura, but at times they can overstay their welcome and become dull. In fact, on this album, there are more of these "interludes" than actual songs. Are they boring? Not for me.
On one side, Necros Christos draws from the darkness and occultism of bands like Black Sabbath, Pagan Altar, Saint Vitus, and Venom; on the other, they’re rooted in the dark extreme metal of Morbid Angel, Possessed, Beherit, Autopsy, and Asphyx. The band masterfully blends all of this ancestral heritage and takes us on a torch-lit witch hunt through the Middle Ages.
Despite its over-an-hour runtime and slow tempo, the album is far from boring. In fact, under the influence of wine and dim lighting, it can easily become a truly diabolical ritual. Black Sabbath and Asphyx would be my top two references for what this album evokes. The crawling, suffocating, and at times '80s-inspired doom/death metal riffs are met with deep, brutal vocals that exude occult atmosphere. The tasteful use of keyboards—so essential for bands of this nature—creates an incredibly chaotic and claustrophobic soundscape.
One thing I personally obsess over is the use of church organs, and this album has plenty of it. Once you add that into the mix, you can imagine the kind of atmosphere th