Full Album Stream: Necrophobic: Womb Of Lilithu – new album

NECROPHOBIC have sent me on a search for “Lilithu”; apparently they were either female demons and succubus who would feed upon the life-force of humans whilst they slept (according to Babylonians), or she was a harlot who appeared as a beautiful bird-footed maiden, described as the daughter of Anu (or “the Daughter of Heaven”) and who fed upon the spirits of her lovers (according to ancient Sumerians). Either way, powerful, independent and emancipated women – something all women deserve to be. I read NECROPHOBIC have recently encountered the all too often occurring matter of domestic violence themselves, and while I am not too familiar with the specifics of their case, I understand they have ejected vocalist Tobias Sidegård from their ranks as a consequence. (Their official statement: “Tobias is no longer a member of NECROPHOBIC. The verdict following his trial regrettably left us, the band, with no other choice. As stated before, NECROPHOBIC do not accept or tolerate domestic violence in any way. We will now search for a replacement.”). All that said, NECROPHOBIC have a new album out on Season Of Mist since October the 25th, 2013, in Europe, and since October the 29th in North America. The album is streaming in full here (No Clean Singing) and below, so give it a spin, you are sure to like it, and then get the ‘Womb Of Lilithu’ here (Season Of Mist e-shop), or via iTunes or BandCamp:

NECROPHOBIC was formed in 1989 in Stockholm, Sweden by drummer Joakim Sterner and guitarist David “Blackmoon” Parland who prematurely passed away in March 2013, aged 42. Parland was also co-founder of DARK FUNERAL and INFERNAL. In 1993, the band, now counting bassist Tobias Sidegård and vocalist Anders Strokirk, recorded their debut single, ‘The Call’, followed by debut full-length album ‘The Nocturnal Silence’, and debut EP, 1996's ‘Spawned By Evil’ which introduced Sidegård on vocals as well as on bass. Together with DISSECTION, NECROPHOBIC began to shape a genuine Swedish metal sound which combined elements of death and black metal:

The band's second album, ‘Darkside’, was released in 1997, featuring a guest appearance of the late Jon Nödtveidt from DISSECTION, while NECROPHOBIC third album, 1999's ‘The Third Antichrist’, introduced new guitarists Sebastian Ramstedt and Martin Halfdan. ‘Bloodhymns’, issued in 2002, were described as a “consistently entertaining listen” and NECROPHOBIC brand of metal as “a death metal battlefield strewn with quite memorable razor-sharp riffs and frosty melodies that make the band so obviously... Scandinavian” by John Serba, AllMusic (more here). In 2006, the band celebrated seventeen years of existence with a “vicious, dense, and harsh as it is ominous” (Alex Henderson, AllMusic – more here) album ‘Hrimthursum’, recorded with new guitarist Johan Bergebäck, while they wished ‘Death To All’ in 2009, with it celebrating twenty years of endurance and devotion to the genre:

“This band has rarely wavered from their original path, and before you go citing those peripheral black metal tendencies - satanic lyrics, malicious melodic speed-runs - keep in mind that the line between death and black was very blurry among the pioneering bands of two decades prior. … The band's undiminished passion for their demonic art bursts forth like that of most satanic metal whippersnappers half their age, which should guarantee NECROPHOBIC's ability to keep bringing ‘Death To All’ ages of extreme metal fans for many years to come,” [wrote Eduardo Rivadavia, AllMusic – more here]

NECROPHOBIC features: Joakim Sterner – drums, Tobias Sidegård – vocals, Alexander Friberg – bass and Fredrik Folkare - guitar