CoC : Nephenzy Chaos Order - Pure Black Disease : Review

Nephenzy Chaos Order - _Pure Black Disease_
(Baphomet / Red Stream, 2003)
by: Aaron McKay (4.5 out of 10)

Despite the rating, these guys have a fair amount working in their favor. How's that? Details, you say? Well, for starters, these guys aren't about a lot of talk. "Put up or shut up" seems to be the Nephenzy Chaos Order philosophy, probably written in blood above their urinals at home. Without a doubt, this five-piece is as raw as a battlefield flesh wound. In no way are they new-comers to the scene; Nephenzy Chaos Order (or NCO for short) have skills stretching as far as the likes Pain and Nifelheim. One can analyze things to death (NCO's forte), but this style of black metal is to be absorbed, not picked apart and dissected. "Mental Aggression" is easily NCO's power-hand on _Pure Black Disease_: it combines the strength of Himinbjorg and a somewhat riffier Gorgoroth. If this type of musical direction found on "Mental Aggression", or even the harsh attack of "Insomnia", were to be stretched across the other eight tracks, NCO would have discovered the holy grail of the the black metal scene -- that being a certain discerning originality. As things turn out, they have not. Stained and bland for the most part on _Pure Black Disease_, NCO combine all the right ingredients for their more-evil-than-thou cauldron o' decay, but ultimately fail to deliver the enticing allure of imagination. Nothing from nothing and all things being equal, Nephenzy Chaos Order is vocally and moderately musically mystifying, yet hollow in their approach. When all is said and done, NCO is admittedly ripe with all the redeeming qualities few on the black metal scene seem to have -- now let's have a few more cuts specifically in the vein of "Mental Aggression", gentlemen.

Contact: http://www.oblivioncreations.com/~nco/pages/main.html

(article published 6/11/2003)