NECRODIOS - ANOMIE DOMINIE

2012 has seen the release of another EP from Canadian black/death stalwarts Necrodios. Entitled "Anomie Dominie," this marks the fourth since their inception in 2004. How does it stack up to the rest? We'll soon find out.

The Milton, Ontario-based quartet have been busy plying their trade in that part of Canada, and if recent gigs are anything to come by, having opened for Adversarial, Inquisition, and Pestilence in three separate occasions are bright lights on the band's resume. Front and center are the dual vocal/axe attack of the brothers Asinas (Jericho and Jet), and rounding up the raiding party would be its rhythm section: Kaveh Afshar (drums) and David Whelan (bass).

The EP consists of four tracks: the title track, "Ancestral Shame," "Pawis at Dugo," and "Religion and Warfare."  Listening to these would remind the diehard metal listener of Absu, Antediluvian, and Melechesh to name a select few—the first and third comparisons ring true for the EP's first and third tracks. The band knows its surroundings (geographical and musical), which is a good thing...almost (more on that later). Fans of those aforementioned groups will find themselves in good company with Necrodios, that's for certain. The recording receives good marks in clarity without compromising the filth—the existence of which is a must for this kind of death metal, to my mind at least. For "raw" versions, "Pawis at Dugo" and "Religion and Warfare" sound very polished and exhibit a LP-like quality, at least as far as the recording is concerned.

Now, we move along to what the release leaves a bit to be desired. To be blunt, there is one that I can mention off the top of my head: the fact that familiarity with the aforementioned groups (and more bands on that part of Canada) may work against Necrodios, and not with the intended result. Variety—what would set this band apart from the rest of its ilk—is conspicuously few and far in between. Kaveh's mid-paced blasts and the presence of Middle Eastern vibes (most notably in "Ancestral Shame") are steps in the right direction, that much I can say.

According to the band's Facebook profile, this may very well be the last EP they have lined up before releasing a full-length effort later in the year. This release is available for downloading at Bandcamp, and while I maintain that this is unfinished work for the Canadian black/death quartet, it does whet the appetite for a LP, if only to see how it would stand in terms of steps towards the band's evolution, and ultimately, the search for its identity. [facebook.com/necrodios; necrodios.bandcamp.com]