I have heard quite a few Netherbird albums, going back to their 2008 debut, but I can't say I have ever before enjoyed hearing one. This band always seemed to waver between some kind of extreme metal, Doom, and Gothic sounds without any clear idea of what the hell they were trying to do. So I was not really excited about the prospect of reviewing this, their sixth full-length, but surprisingly, this is pretty good.
This time out, Netherbird seem to have settled on a melodic sound that draws more than a bit of inspiration from Dissection. This is not as good as Dissection, lest it need to be said, but the hooky riffing and the general sound, along with the rasping vocal delivery, make the approach a clear descendant of classic Dissection. This being a Swedish band, I hardly believe that's an accident. Derivative or not, this shows real hooks and good melodies alongside solid songwriting to make for an album that is actually pleasurable to hear.
