NECRONOMIDOL – From Chaos Born

Necronomidol are back on our website, the ultradark idols from Tokyo that we introduced to you last year through an interview to their producer Ricky Wilson. Thanks to the release of their debut album "Nemesis" and an unusual tour in New Caledonia, the last few months must have been quite intense for them, though we all know that in Japan hard work is frequent; the release of this new EP proves once again the effort that the girls and all their staff are devoting to this project.

The six tracks highlight good skill at moving between different genres, constantly balancing dreams and nightmares, light and darkness; the choirs somewhat resembling prayers are one of the elements that better describe this ambiguity, without forgetting the crucial role played by music in Necronomidol's style. Their songs are in fact inspired by many genres, each one with its own identity and continuously adding unexpected elements to the mix: in "Psychopomp" a creepy carillon introduces a track somewhere in between post-black metal and shoegaze, and the vocals convey the idea of a last lullaby before eternal sleep, it wouldn't surprise me if this were the case considering the title. "Shimun Kaihougun" makes things much lighter with some sort of Stratovarius-inspired power metal, even featuring a harpsichord very reminiscent of "Black Diamond" by the Finnish band; the song is still quite surprising in its quasi-funk bass part in the middle.

"Nyx" mixes things up once again with a typically Japanese rock/metal hybrid, also adding gloomy whispers and keyboards; this effect is counterbalanced by the happy-sounding chorus and the '80s synths. The following pop-rock song "Tamam Shud" proceeds on a similar happy vein, mainly working on an electronic sound inspired by both past and modern artists, as if to give us a little break. It is now time for "Midnight Dominator", clearly influenced by Judas Priest and NWOBHM in pretty much all its parts, and the concluding track "Idol's Elegy", perhaps the most complicated song of the lot with its mixture of electronic synths, scary atmospheres, acoustic guitars, and pop-rock rhythms.

Necronomidol are on the rise in terms of quality and they proved to be a notable project, especially because of their very personal take on the genre. Do not expect the more commercial aspects you might have seen in Babymetal and similar acts; the genuine passion and that feeling of amateurish work typical of underground metal that this band has is something quite unique in the vast idol scene, you can take a look at their cover artworks to get a clearer idea of what I'm talking about. In case you wanted to explore their world, "From Chaos Born" is now available on Spotify.