Review Summary: Boring and cliché blackened death metal that is an obvious impersonation of classical black metal bands such as Dissection with a touch of stale melodic death.
Despite their "death metal" label, Necrophobic is almost purely black metal, and reminiscent of the classic black metal bands that ushered in the second black metal wave such as Dissection and the infamous Marduk. Without even listening to the music it’s easy to pick up on Necrophobic's influences. Track titles like "Revelation 666," and "For Those Who Have Stayed Satanic" reek of the cliché Satanism that was brought to frontline of the black metal scene in the mid 90's. In essence, Death to All is an album that should have been released more than ten years ago which relegates it to impostor black metal that only has minor nostalgic value for hardcore black metal collectors.
Unlike other adaptations of blackened death metal, Necrophobic is more black metal than death metal. As is common among black metal, the guitar riffing is mostly simplistic and uninspiring, with an abundance of distortion and tremolo picking without much variety at all. The drummer also relies far too heavily on black metal style, using painfully slow blast beats and weak bass drum fills, leaving the actual music with much to be desired.
However, even a barely average album such as Death to All has its shining moments. The latter half of “Revelation 666” is marked by a soul-crushing melodic fill that trails off into possibly the best black metal themed solo I have ever heard. Despite my distaste for Satan-themed media, “Revelation 666” shows excellent song-writing capability on the part of the guitarist. Solos and actual melody are scarce throughout the rest of the album and when they are present they are rather underwhelming such as in “Temple of Damnation” and “The Tower.” "Death to All" provides a few interesting melodies but it's so late in the album that it seems like Necrophobic's attempt at staying relevant in the melodic death metal scene which they clearly do not belong in.
Vocally, Death to All is just as average as it is musically, drenched in raspy growls that betray Necrophobic’s death metal affiliations. I’d rather not delve into the lyrical concept of this album seeing as though it would just be pointless ranting with a strong bias against Satanist lyrics. The lyrics are somewhat comprehensible but to be honest, I paid them little attention due to their concept which was made painfully obvious by tracks 2-4 which are titled; “Revelation 666,” “La Satanisma Muerte,” and “For Those Who Stayed Satanic.”
I suppose my real grudge against the album is how late it was in coming. This kind of black metal has already been tried, tested and ultimately worn out by two separate waves of black metal bands. Not to mention, Necrophobic has been on the scene for nigh on twenty years now, you'd think that in such a long existence they would no longer be flogging a dead horse, but here we are. I'd rather stick with Dissection to be honest.
