NECROPHAGIA — Goblins Be Thine (review)

NECROPHAGIA — Goblins Be Thine album cover EP · 2004 · Death Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
4/5 ·
UMUR
"Goblins Be Thine" is an EP release by US death metal act Necrophagia. The EP was released through Red Stream, Inc. in 2004. It bridges the gap between the band´s third and fourth full-length studio albums "The Divine Art of Torture" (2003) and "Harvest Ritual, Volume 1" (2005). The sextet lineup who recorded "The Divine Art of Torture" (2003) is intact on "Goblins Be Thine". Therefore Necrophagia still make use of the keyboards services of Mirai Kawashima from Sigh...

...I mention this specifically because Kawashima´s involvement on "Goblins Be Thine" is dominant. At times almost to a point where you are in doubt if this is a death metal influenced Sigh release. The italian progressive horror soundtrack rock act Goblin is also a valid reference, and maybe the title of the EP is indeed an ode to them. Necrophagia is of course still the brainchild of lead vocalist/founding- and only remaining original member Killjoy and the core old school brutal thrash/early death metal sound is still intact. So are the horror/gore themed lyrics and imagery, which are only enhanced by horror movie samples and Kawashima´s horror- and classical music themed keyboards and synths ("The Fog" for example builds on John Carpenter's theme from the 1980 movie of the same title). The death metal foundation of the music is pretty simple and mostly slow-to mid-paced, and the band only very rarely speed the music up. This is all about putrid gore/horror atmosphere and raw filthy riffs and rhythms. Killjoy´s growling vocals are quite the treat on this EP, as he gargles, snarls, and croaks his way through the songs. There´s a caustic bite to his performance that not all extreme metal vocalists are able to deliver.

"Goblins Be Thine" features a sound production, which is perfect for the material, and it´s overall an incredibly well sounding release. The balance between sounding filthy and raw, and still being able to hear all details in the mix is hit perfect here. While "Goblins Be Thine" at it´s core is trademark Necrophagia, Kawashima´s dominant influence on the music still makes this EP a standout release in the band´s discography. Some may find the keyboards/synths a bit B-horror movie cheesy/campy, but to my ears they are quite brilliant (I´m a huge fan of the epic classical keyboards/synths on "To Sleep With the Dead". A theme culled from the 1987 horror movie "Nekromantik"). Featuring 6 tracks and a total playing time of 31:54 minutes, "Goblins Be Thine" also features enough quantity to warrant a purchase, and when that quantity is loaded with quality a 4 star (80%) rating is deserved.
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