Necrophagia are back with their latest offering: The Divine Art Of Torture. This CD has found the band under fire by critics, claiming the release is terrible, especially when considering the band's past efforts. With yet another new line up, and special guest keyboardist Mirai Kawashima of the experimental black metal band Sigh, Necrophagia bring us another horror filled album of violence and gore.
Once again, Necrophagia bring us an altered musical style, such as has happened before. The Divine Art Of Torture moves at a faster pace, but with guitar chords that seem as though they would fit a metalcore band, or even a Sepultura around the time of Roots, Bloody Roots. Take "Blaspheme The Body" and "Parasite Eve" as perfect examples. The music seems to have a slight groove feel to it for the verse, and then the chorus is taken down a few notches in what appears to be an attempt to give you an eery feeling that is only accomoplished with the keyboard stylings of Mirai. And the track "Maim Attraction" has vocals that give off a bit of a bit of a hardcore (attitude, not music style) feel to it, with a solo partway through the song that sounds like it should be on a melodic death album as a main riff. But, if you can look past all that, the song does kick some serious ass.
As long as you look at this album as more of an experimental type of death metal release, you will definitely find some enjoyment in it. Look at "Upon Frayed Lips Of Silence", a slower song with moments that clash a bit against the traditional death metal sound of the track, and "The Sick Room" is fast, brutal, and absolutely fantastic. These two are great examples of the potential this album had. "Rue Morgue Disciple" and "Zé Do Caixão" are the only other exciting tracks, relying moreso on slow paced heavy guitar riffs that actually sound death metal without hinting at a possible breakdown. The only track on here you will get really fed up with quickly is "The Divine Art Of Torture" which is just a man ranting in another language with people being tortured in the background, nothing special. It does lead into the song "Zé Do Caixão" by having that same guy still screaming in the background of the song when it starts.
The Divine Art Of Torture is just another step in a new direction for the band. While it isn't absolute garbage, it definitely could have been better. But, let's face it, if it weren't for the keyboards giving it more of a creepy feel, and four, maybe five songs on here that sound like death metal without the badass hardcore attitude, this CD would best be used as a coaster for an antique table. This album does show a lot of promise, so hopefully the next release will be better.
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