Nephalem-Phantasmagoria Lp/mini LP. FFO: Sensationally energetic and in your face hardcore with a touch of metal.

 

Nephalem-Phantasmagoria Lp/mini LP. FFO: Sensationally energetic and in your face hardcore with a touch of metal.

I really love repping local bands who are not only killer musos, but lovely people as well. Last week we reviewed Kuntsquad, great friends of the zine and the bands we are in, now we proudly review the awesome product of Nephalem; one of Melbourne's best live bands, outstanding humans and my personal fave Melbourne hardcore band at the moment. As the Nephs cvlt has risen, with this album/min-Lp is their fourth glorious release. 

Welcome to the show
Welcome to the Nephalem show
Welcome to the shitshow
Welcome! Welcome!
Welcome to Neph City
Where we piss on!

So starts off Neph City, wow talk about forceful bass in the face; this opener is short(1:29 min) but promises like all quality underground movies that the grim and dodgy alleyway indeed leads to a lucrative promised land. This has all the Neph trademarks; weighty drums and bass, scathing riffs and deranged vocals in a 20 cans of Red Bull consumed in 10 mins hardcore style we adore. And the energy level doesn't settle at all until the release's end. Southern Discomfort has so much going on it'll crush your perception of extreme and well-made music. This gem of a track and one of my many faves reminds me of both the wild groove of Cancer Bats and also DC hardcore melody-what a wicked combo, then add some mad black metalesque screams towards the end, oh my lord!. Classic track. Vermin Imperials is equally wild with unhinged vocals and a pounding rhythm section and epic hardcore riffs-like a breakdown in a breakdown. 

Dickspit is the fourth ripping track on this release and please watch the mad video at the end of this review, it's as feverish as the song. This is the song that is that nasty earworm that inserts its way deep into your cerebrum from the first listen, and the tempo, the guitar mania and everything about it is brilliantly aggressive and addictive. The absolute highlight of the album. For a band that has not been around that long, they certainly have a mouth-watering and impressive catalogue so far. Churfer's Paradise is a track I as a vocalist worshipped hard, the vocal changes and placement were magnificent and again sat between black metal and anthemic DC hardcore. It is as though you are waiting for a mediocre track to drop like on most releases, but no chance here. Kudos to the intro drums at the start of this song, just wild as fuck!. 

Pro Binary is another spine-ripping track, and the key to this is some cheesy as fuck guitar wankery that was breathtaking and in sync with some deeply monumental bass lines that create a groovy-as-hell classic track. Nocturnal Emissions is like most Nephs songs lyrically off its absolute head and this non-compos mentis beauty is another highlight with its mosh-designed structure. Phew, such a hectic, and thoroughly enjoyable release. And it closes with the raging Combat Wombat. This track is the shizzle, again utilising all their skills and the foundation is nice and hard rockish cheesy thick riffs and a surreal groove. The band functions well both live and in the studio; it drips of phenomenal skills, and know-how and is a band that is tight and full of fun. Easily will be in my top five releases of the year and deserves endless playing with no chance of boredom or dullness. Kudos to this awe-inspiring band!.

Support these hardworking legends!!!

Out now:

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