For those not familiar with Necrophagia, they are one of the few true horror-metal bands. Not death metal in the vein of Cannibal Corpse, or the boring, over-rated, death grind of Mortician; Necrophagia unearth their own brand of vile rotten metal. Its not for everyone, as people seem divided over whether or not Necrophagia's music is any good. Here's a brief history of 'phage: Started in the early-to-mid 80s by founding member Killjoy, the band played slow Slayer-style thrash with a inspiration clearly from horror films. At that time, horrific lyrics weren't commonplace. Not until the late 90s, when (pantera's) Phil Anselmo dusted off his Necronomicon and resurrected Necrophagia with, from what I understand, and album he pretty-much wrote himself (at least musically). That album, Holocausto de la Morte, sets the mood for their first home video, Through the Eyes of the Dead. Once again members change entirely, Killjoy creeping off to Europe, and re-assembling Necrophagia. They honed the music further, while Frediablo (guitar) takes Phil's sloppy-yet-effective riffing and concocts a chunkier, tighter, rhythm. Add in the new Goblin/Carpenter-influenced synth atmosphere, and you got an entirely new Necrophagia. These music videos, IMO, are a step down from their previous effort, but nonetheless showcase what the band loves, horror. If the videos of "Through..." were Deodato with a Fulci soundtrack, then "Nightmare..." is Franco with a Carpenter soundtrack. The music may be technically better, but most of the videos are a step back, absolutely through the lack of Jim Van Bebber. Bebber knows atmosphere, and I'm sorry, but Coffin Joe (who directs a video) is to cheesy, and most importantly, NOT SCARY! The video made by Toe Tag Pictures, on the other hand, is awesome, with great zombies, atmosphere, and good FX. My main gripe with this DVD is the production choices of some of the videos. Example: "Flowers..." video, while entertaining, has the worst film grain filter I have ever seen, and is not convincing. Now what made me appreciate this video, however, was the "Uncreating the Musick" feature. These guys are truly dedicated musicians and put in lots of time and effort. The drummer is phenomenal, as is Mirai's synth programming. Overall, all gripes aside, this home video entertaining for metal/horror fans alike and is worth the 20 bucks. I also recommend: Mordum, Through the Eyes of the Dead, Ichi the Killer, and Colostomy Grab Bag.
3 out of 3 found this helpful.
Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
