A Scar for the Wicked – The Necrobutcher
This EP was released in 2014, but it’s landed in my lap to review in 2017 so here we go, lets take a step back in time. For those interested, A Scar for the Wicked have a new release on the horizon called “The Unholy”. They’ve apparently gone through a few line up changes so it’ll be interesting to see how that compares to the EP reviewed below.
I think it’s pretty clear what kind of a ride you’re in for with an EP called “The Necrobutcher”. I mean that in the best possible taste of course, because as soon as the first song hits it’s all in from start to finish. Not to Say that there isn’t a good amount of variation from this Canadian five piece. In a genre which is defined by its blast beat fuelled aggression, A Scar for the Wicked know how to mix things up without ever really slowing down or holding back. The influence of melodic death metal shines through, but they keep it modern and fresh drawing from same region as All shall perish and The Black Dahlia Murder. The guitars shred continuously with sharp riffs and leads attacking from all directions without over complicating things, but still giving us a few twists and turns when needed. The vocals is where a lot of death metal bands let themselves down, but here ASFTW manage to change it up throughout the five songs without daring to venture into clean melodies. It’s not necessarily a bad thing here, because the percussive nature of death metal vocals add another beat to hammer down to. But there’s clearly an effort to keep things interesting, meaning I found myself engaged throughout the intense barrage without being lost in the mix.
Those with an untrained ear may feel that they’ve heard everything on this EP a hundred times before, but I feel that even non Blackened/Death/Grind Metal fans should be impressed by the immediate and visceral energy from each song. This genre can seem difficult to penetrate if you’re discovering it for the first time, and this EP won’t hold your hand too much. But that said, A Scar for the Wicked aren’t exactly here to give your ears an easy ride, so don’t expect ambient soundscapes or delicate moments. The production is solid, so you can play this one loud when you get the chance.
It may not be perfect or massively groundbreaking, But The Necrobutcher is Brutal, it’s crushing, and it’s not for the feint hearted and its fans of the genre will find plenty to come back to.
Rating: 7/10
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