CoC : Naumachia - Wrathorn : Review

Naumachia - _Wrathorn_
(Adipocere, 2005)
by: Pedro Azevedo (2 out of 10)

Of the three Polish bands whose new albums Adipocere is licensing simultaneously, Naumachia are by far the worst -- the Abused Majesty and Mutilation efforts are both quite decent, and compared to this they are many miles away. I tried to disregard the mediocre keyboard intro, assuming it was just another poor excuse to obey one of metal's worst clichés. But unfortunately, it didn't take more than a minute of the first track proper to convince me it was actually a good indication of what was to follow. In addition to sounding very lightweight, the music on _Wrathorn_ is smothered in often cartoonish keyboards, sub-standard vocals and an unremarkable performance from the remaining band members -- all topped off by a weak production job.

Some of the lyrics and phrasing defy belief, especially considering the blackened symphonic sound they try to achieve: the first thing you hear is "Walking the paths of urbanmaze / I've grown tough with facts to face", but the likes of "I've been alone / A wolf leading its pack / You come and go / I don't give a fuck" and "Never wanted you or needed / Couldn't care less / Walk on I won't feel seeded / 'Cos I live only for myself!" soon follow -- and these are all in the opening track! Unfortunately the rest of the music follows suit throughout, resulting in one of the worst albums to make its way to my mailbox in a long time.

Contact: http://www.adipocere.fr

(article published 7/4/2005)