This French band has been going at it for a good long stretch now, tossing out discs of evil death metal every few years to remind us they’re still around. They put me in a peculiar position, because they are definitely heavy enough, fast enough and diabolical enough, but they just don’t seem to make a big impression on me. The Ones From Hell is more of the same.
These guys don’t have the aura of being bandwagon-jumpers, their commitment to black and death metal seems sincere. Yet it doesn’t register in any major way. They are influenced by classic Swedish death metal, but I have to admit, they are not the baldfaced clone of Swe-death that many such bands are. They seem to be getting more influence from bands like NECROPHOBIC and early AT THE GATES instead of the usual GRAVE/ENTOMBED influenced stuff. There is melody in their songs if you look hard enough.
They also mix up the songwriting so the songs are not boilerplate repetitions of the same formula. ‘Absolute Evil’ is a fast, crunchy instrumental, ‘Darkness Supreme’ has a real groovy element, the band’s “name” song ‘Necrowretch’ is the heaviest and rawest here. This sort of thing should have me spitting blood and throwing the horns, but instead I forget all about NECROWRETCH the minute the album is over. This might just be some peculiarity in my own taste, because I can see many hardcore bangers flailing away to this band. Give it a try, and see if The Ones From Hell works for you.
Review By: Dr. Abner Mality
NECROWRETCH
The Ones From Hell
Season Of Mist
2.5 / 6