Black Blood Vomitorium

Black Blood Vomitorium is a follow-up and continuation with the same line-up as their full length 'Holocausto De La Morte.' The resurgence of Necrophagia still shows a death metal group with a like-mind for horror themed songs. The films 'The Evil Dead' and 'The Beyond (the first track is the title translated from the Italian name of the film)' are inspirations to some of the lyrical concepts. As well as other ravenous ideas, leading to an array of grotesque musical manifestations emitting from this short output.

With Anton Crowley's song writing, the music plays a sludgy form of death metal. He uses a downtuned guitar and a method of out of tune chords to project an unsettling, fearful musical display that can't be likened to natural occurrences. I can hear an influencing of the Louisianan band Eyehategod from their first album here, with loads of feedback and some slower, sludgy riffs that are a reminder. The guitars can switch from using a steady chugging with quick chords or string bends, to abstract strummed single notes. The bass guitar plays along side of the guitars, applying a heavy distortion, and seems to add a filthy layer to the production. There are some faster sections on Black Blood, but they don't reach blast levels. The idea wasn't to go for speed or who can go the slowest. But to show subtle, as well as explosive and unguessable noises that are likened to disparaging, darkened, deadly metal. Fabra's drumming is similar to the last album, where he adds simple, pre-arranged fills to unlight the crevices of the recording. Killjoy's vocals aren't as screechy compared to the last output. They sound deeper toned, with a yelled, painful self-distortion. He does add some higher pitched extensions to certain climatic moments, and also growls. You can't really pin them down to a single technique, but a variety of interchangeable methods.

The last track is an ambient piece that sounds a little like a filler track. I thought the same thing for the beginning of the track 'The Cross Burns Black' on the last album. Here, it uses an intermittent, reverb-laden, slow-moving piano in the background, with multi-effected vocals doing a narration in the foreground. Filler might be too strong a word, since I can see their prior intentions were probably right, but it is neither astounding or gripping as a closer. It seems to kind of plod along and ends without a care. They desperately needed a keyboardist at that point to put more time into it and help the conception turn into a more enticing finisher. As someone who listens to horror scores, and hearing the tiring use of a slow, dark piano, one might see where I'm coming from.

I don't think Black Blood Vomitorium was a take-over from the last release. As a follow up it mostly works, with the exception of the title track being moderate. The best two tracks on here for consistency are definitely the first and third, with the second having a faster beginning and then having more of an identity with a slower-paced middle. The horror themes are in abundance, they didn't slack in that regard, giving an unsettling mood to shock and twist itself into split identities. According to interviews, even having some of their releases banned in certain countries for explicitness might just tell you something about the band at that point.

On this record the band continued to play in the vein of "Holocausto De La Morte". This time the music is a little bit more aggressive and faster (look "They Dwell Beneath") but the core is the same and for sure if these tracks had been mixed with the content of the second LP you wouldn't have even noticed any incoherence.
The similarities between these two releases doesn't end on general character of music. Even the construction is very congenial. The first example can be tracks ("Children Of The Vortex" and "They Dwell Beneath" mentioned earlier) - the shortest and most violent ones, sound like they resemble two parts of the same story. Another can be outros ("Hymns Of Divine Suicide" and "Black Blood Vomitorium") - both being some kind of slowly spoken parts performed by schizo individuals. The connections with band's earlier works don't end here. There's even some exact quotation from debut's "Ancient Slumber" in "It Lives In The Woods". It fits nicely and is one of the reasons to listen very carefully - in other case you might miss some nuances. Lyrics are of course references to horror movies (in this case "Evil Dead", "The Beyond"). They developed the sickness of music very well. I have no doubt about Killjoy's very serious approach to this matter.
The only complaint I have is the length of this release. It's understandable because of the format but it could be a few minutes longer.
All in all: content of this EP won't be any astonishment for everyone who already know a directly preceding release ("Holocausto..."). It's rather predictable successor, some sort of supplement, but still absolutely worth checking out. Too bad it was the last one done in that line up...

After ‘Holocausto de la Morte’, Necrophagia return with ‘Black Blood Vomitorium’, an EP that’s full of absolute horror and deranged sickness.
The album kick starts with the horror intro sample of ‘And You Will Live in Terror’ and then subsequently morphs into a shredding riff accompanied by heavy double bass drumming and Killjoy’s perverted vocals. After two verses and respective choruses, the song slows down to an atmospheric grind layered with schizophrenic voices and dwelling growls from beyond. The dirty guitar sound coupled with the utterly frightening whispers of “and you will live in terror” really create an unsurpassed, strange experience.
The next song, ‘They Dwell Beneath’, is a lot faster and straight to the point. Blasting off with a fast riff, thrashing drums and possessed like vocals it goes through many changes that keep the listener on their toes. It passes through grooving sections full with distorted bass intros and through intricate riffing. At one point it comes to near halt with nothing but guitar distortion only to be catapulted right into a furious rage with screaming vocals. Very intense and involving.
‘It Lives In the Woods’, gives a short breather as it starts with another horror movie sample. Shortly after it’s succeeded with screeches and screams on top of a mid-tempo groove, which later climaxes and stops at near silence with nothing but guitar scratching. Then suddenly the drums start blasting out a neat rhythm that serves as a prelude to yet more, sick chantings of violence and chaos.
The ending title track is nothing but an eerie declaration of deprivation and evil. It’s interesting and all, but on a four song EP I’d much rather have another proper song than an ending that I’ll probably not pay attention to after the first couple of listens.
A strong start, an even stronger middle full of dirty guitars, insane vocals and plain horror make up for weak ending that’s little more than a waste of time. But I’ll still recommend it despite the aforementioned shortcoming.