Hailing from the UK, Necronautical (a name relating to the exploration of death) was formed in 2014 as a studio-only project by founders Naut, Carcarrion and Anchorite. That line up recorded the acclaimed Black Sea Misanthropy the same year, earning them a record deal with Cacophonous (Cradle of Filth) for their second album. In 2015, the trio recruited Slugh on drums and made the transition to a live act, also tracking The Endurance at Night, which was released in 2016. Having subsequently played a number of shows with leading artists from the genre, including Winterfylleth, Fen and Dark Funeral, the band have returned with Apotheosis. Recorded with renowned console wizard Chris Fielding (Witchsorrow, Winterfylleth) at Skyhammer Studio and boasting artwork from David Thierree (Behemoth, Gorgoroth), the band have crafted an existential journey inspired by the works of Nietzsche, Chuck Palanuik and Neil Gaiman, marking their most mature and expansive work to date.
Released on vinyl via Candlelight Records, Apotheosis comes in a handsome gatefold sleeve. The black platters are housed in simple, black paper sleeves and the inlay (spread across the gatefold) features a band promo shot and full lyrics, the latter proving particularly useful for those wishing to dig into the concept. The vinyl is remarkably crisp and clean, with minimal surface pops, and the format works well with an album that is clearly meant to be heard in the correct sequence.
Opening with the dark choral chanting of All is vanity, Necronautical make a considerable impact, the furious blast beats of Slugh pitched against the neo-symphonic might of the guitars (Naut & Carcarrion). Obvious touchstones include early Cradle and Dimmu, with elements of Behemoth’s imperial might and Winterfylleth’s frozen soundscapes also in evidence. It makes for a compelling opening track, and Chris Fielding has done a grand job of imbuing the band’s music with a depth and texture befitting the intelligent lyrics and dark atmosphere. Naut’s Gothic organ samples lead the way into the eerie Nihil sub sole novum, a blackened swirl that feels like a dark invocation, as Slugh’s pummelling beats coalesce with the icy guitars to form a solid wall of frozen noise, only for tempo shifts and choral vocals to add an additional dimension to the mood being created.
Side B kicks off with the astonishingly direct The Lure of the Abyss, a full-on blackened monster built around a riff that threatens the foundations. However, there’s more to Necronautical than simple metallic bluster and the track undergoes a number of contortions, drawing on creepy atmospherics and even a classical passage reminiscent of Therion before finally unleashing the vocals. Elegant and imperial, The Lure of the Abyss is an ambitious and complex piece of music that demonstrates the ability that lies at the heart of the band and provides a showcase for Slugh, who excels throughout, embellishing his percussion in innumerable, subtle ways. With a sweeping, epic feel the title track has all the hallmarks of a classic, the baroque movement of the guitars and carefully composed lyrics once again a testament to the vision of the band.
Side C opens with the explosive Totentanz, a monstrous, chugging epic worthy of latter-day Mayhem greatly enhanced by the raw power of Naut’s vocals and the deft use of orchestration, the latter allowed to swell up and overpower the track’s dark conclusion, evoking a sense of faded grandeur. What follows, in Here Begins The Fall, is nothing more than a text-book demonstration of black metal might. Unutterably heavy (not least, thanks to Slugh’s inhuman blast beats), and yet possessed of a dark melody that worms its way beneath the skin, Necronautical deliver a perfect balance between technical precision and visceral power and the effect is both chilling and awe-inspiring. Wary of overpowering the listener with pure speed (which often strips extreme music of its weight), Necronautical temper their faster passages with moments of mid-tempo groove, allowing the vocals and riffs to flourish, all of which only serves to enhance the atmosphere for which the band consistently strive.
Side D comprises a single track, in the form of The Endless Spiral, the album’s lengthy closer. Opening with Naut’s subtle, beautifully played acoustic guitar, there’s an elegance to the composition which is maintained across the piece. With an almost doom-laden tempo, harmonised lead work and sublime melodies, Necronautical’s progressive approach to black metal shines through clearly and yet, for all the remarkable musicianship, the band never once sacrifice the power and authority of their sound. As such, not only is The Endless Spiral the perfect closer for the album, it is also the perfect summation of Necronautical’s myriad strengths. It concludes the album on a vertiginous high to which the band’s peers can only aspire, and it marks Necronautical out as a band who still have considerable potential to be unleashed. It is astounding, both in ambition and execution.
Apotheosis is, by any metric, a remarkable album. From the stunning artwork, which really captures the essence of the record, to the full production, Apotheosis is the sound of a band possessed of a high degree of ambition and self-determination and that dedication has paid off. As for format, the vinyl edition is absolutely the way to go: from the whisper-quiet platters to the over-sized artwork, the album feels suited to vinyl but, above all else, it forces the listener to listen to the album in the intended sequence and it is so much more powerful when heard in this way. Necronautical are, without doubt, one of the UK’s finest black metal talents and this dark, wonderfully constructed album should be treasured. 9.5
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