Lock Up - Necropolis Transparent
The first new full-length from this Grindcore supergroup in 9 years isn’t exactly end-of-the-world-party worthy, but how the fuck can we resist? After all, this is essentially Napalm Death with Tompa singing. What more do you need? Granted, they’ve never been the most memorable supergroup, and Necropolis Transparent doesn’t exactly break that tradition. This is one of those albums you pop in the car, you’re driving along, you’re digging it. After what seems like only a few minutes have gone by, you look down at your stereo and notice that you’re on track seven already. Holy shit, the songs changed? Then you suddenly realize that you’ve killed several pedestrians, but that’s a story best saved for later. Tragically departed original guitarist Jesse Pintado’s replacement, Anton Reisenegger (Criminal, Pentagram, Inner Sanctum), does a more than serviceable job filling those legendary shoes. He brings a lot to the table, as the most noteworthy moments of the album are when the jackhammering Grind assault comes to a screeching halt and Reisenegger drops an Old School Death Metal riff atom bomb. Wicked, crawling riffs very reminiscent of when… well… when Napalm Death started writing real riffs. May that time period be to each their own. Still, for all its extremity, this album lacks a certain something. It really does go by in a blur. So much so that after a half dozen listens, I still have yet to pinpoint the guest vocal contributions from Jeff Walker (some band called Carcass) and Lock Up’s original throatsmith, mastermind Peter Tagtgren. Which really speaks to this album’s mind-wandering trappings, because I should be able to pick out Tagtgren’s voice during a tornado, and Walker’s all over this fucking thing. Could it be the drumming of Nick Barker? Sure, he’s a speed demon, a blast monster, but I honestly think it could be his lack of anything else that makes this album feel like the same song over and over again. Whatever the case, it’s good to have Lock Up back, especially during this quality Grind drought we are suffering through. Hopefully further spins will reveal more texture.
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