:CD Review: Necro Facility – Wintermute

Necro Facility – Wintermute
Release Date: June 7, 2011
Label: Artoffact Records
Website: myspace.com/necrofacility

Review by: William Dashiell Hammett

Necro Facility started when two friends met in school and became enamored with the industrial music scene and the creativity they found with in it.  Pursuing their art with a dedication that stunned, they release the highly acclaimed The Black Paintings in 2005, and shocking many in the scene that a duo so young could produce such a complex album.  The sophomore release The Room came out in 2007 and after appearances at the prestigious Wave-Gotik-Treffen and Mera Luna festivals, the duo took a bit of a break.  Oscar Holter worked as a producer and songwriter, penning songs for more acts than you can shake a stick at. Henrik Bäckström spent the time doing some of the most highly praised remixes to grace the dance floors around the world.  However, the two kept in touch and worked for nearly four years on their third album with the aim of releasing it during Necro Facility’s Tenth Anniversary year.  This reviewer is, quite frankly, stunned.

Starting with a surprising slow tempo, the first track on the album, “You Want it”, picks up with some very stereotypical industrial synth sounds.  Henrik’s initial vocal is genre typical aggressive and distorted.  But then the chorus comes in and a decidedly poppy 80s sounding synth joins in along with a change in vocal style that totally changes everything about the song.  “Explode” comes next and picks up the tempo.  The vocals are incredibly well done, with nice effects and harmonization.  The melody is exceedingly catching and the sounds used throughout are simply gorgeous.

The next track, “Cuts”, is reminiscent of some Skinny Puppy tracks, a feeling only amplified by Henrik’s vocal cadence.  Like all of the tracks on this album, it simple washes over you, easily.  There is an edge to the sounds, but it isn’t brutal.   “Do You Feel the Same” is an excellent track with such stunning vocal dichotomy and musically poppy feel that reminded my of some 80s New Wave.  A feeling augmented by the vocal refrain during the chorus.

“Fall Apart” starts with some nice electro/industrial sounds and an excellent EBM tempo.  Henrik’s nicely clean vocal is powerful and the by-play between the main vocal track and the responsive, more effected, vocal is interesting.  Some nice airy synth lines accent the chorus and bridge enlarging the soundscape the song invades.  “Waiting for the Snow” starts off with an almost experimental electro intro.  A spoken vocal track is almost hidden by the heavy beat and equally heavy synth lines.  Electronic static-like sounds creatively pan across your consciousness during this mostly instrumental song.  The next track “Ignite” starts with some synth sounds that brought a horn section to my mind.  This was completely wiped away when the song really kicked off and Henrik’s forceful vocals and a belligerent bass line dominate everything about this track.  Again, the chorus completely changes the song, adding to it and taking the composition up to the next level.

The next song on this album, “Shrik”, begins with a xylophone like synth beat before a very danceable and distorted electronic melody take over.  Henrik’s voice starts at barely a whisper and holds a decidedly irate tone as it slowly builds until exploding after the first chorus.  The track evolves from the slow paced, easily danceable song to a full force aggressive diatribe against conventional society.  This evolution is repeated expertly until the song ends with a single piano like chord drifting beautifully into silence.

“Supposed” instantly takes over your perception with an almost military like snare drum before breaking into what is easily one of the most poppy 80s new wave songs on the album.  There is an almost Nizter Ebb like synth line in the background that disappears when the chorus breaks in and enlarges the song.  All of the aspects that have made this album so damn listenable are apparent in this song and this was easily my favorite on the album.

Wrapping up the album is the track “All That You Take” which, at over five minutes, is the longest track on the album.  However, that length isn’t heard as the track starts out almost ballad like but slowly grows and evolves.  The music and sound keep growing, building into something completely different than when the song began.  It is a truly stunning progression to hear.

As I stated in the opening of this review, I was simply stunned by this album.  There is so much going on, so many sounds and so much creativity that it instantly grabbed hold of me and wouldn’t let go.  It is on my computer’s daily play list, on my MP3 player and I burned a copy for my car.  Click the links below and buy Wintermute now.

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