Review Summary: A for effort.
Nekonomicon are a young band full of ideas. Their music is anchored in nostalgia, with kid tv show and anime theme sound-alikes. They fit a niche, alongside Powerglove and other modern, goofy metal bands, especially with a song title like: Speedrunning from my Problems. They call themselves “Nintendocore”, but their style has more in common with the band Blood Stain Child. Not as unique as they could be, they stick close to the bible of BSC throughout the length of the album.
Chiptune and video game fx are either obnoxiously inserted, or gently sprinkled in. When video game sounds aren’t highlighted, the music is fairly generic, yet when they take the forefront, the band sounds retro. Nintendocore is still a cringey genre, a little too reminiscent of the time when Attack Attack!’s Stick Stickly was the rage, along with bands like Abandon All Ships and Design The Skyline - the first track especially gives that vibe. Thankfully, Nekonomicon are generally more pleasant than the genre title, or first track might suggest. With an onslaught of catchy choruses and game sounds, the prioritization of “fun” tracks often succeeds. It also helps that the singer has a nice, clean tone.
This is the band’s debut, so production magic is lacking (especially in the vocal department), but the songs are filled with hooks - it’s the saving grace of the album. This musical style is entirely cheesy, as expected, and fans of anime or I See Stars may find it entertaining. It’s a decent album if you’re into this sort of thing. The band’s sound is currently a little rough, but perhaps with time they’ll be a force to be reckoned with. Then again, I doubt it. Their style is been-there-done-that, and the video game gimmick only adds a thin coat of paint to a generic product.
