5 – The album is excellent, it could also be considered perfect or near perfect. There may be a few glitches or setbacks, but they are not detrimental.

4 – The album is very good. There aren’t too many glitches or setbacks but the ones that are present keep the album from being excellent.

3 – The album is mediocre. While the album is alright, there isn’t anything that makes it stand out above other albums. Some of it is good, and some of it needs work.

2 – The album is bad. Many things have gone wrong, and unless it happens to be within your personal favorite genre, chances are it’s not even worth your time. The band has a lot to work on.

1 – The album is terrible. The album isn’t worth your time, no exceptions.

Note: Be aware that in November 2004 the grading scale was revised to how it is shown above in order to maintain more consistences between our reviewers. Many of the reviews in our Archive may include ½ marks and ¼ marks and please be aware that the ratings at that time were also more open to our reviewers’ interpretations of the rating scale, as opposed to this now absolute grading scale which our reviewers are responsible to follow in their rating procedures.


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Nominon - Recremation - added - February 27th, 2007
Reviewer: Jason E. Goltz

3/5

 

“Handmade of darkness / black magic is the game / an urge and power to control / let the devil capture your soul.”  And with this, Sweden’s Nominon begin their second full-length CD entitled Recremation.  Originally recorded and released in 2005, this CD was re-released in 2006 on Deathgasm Records and is a solid effort to hasten the spirits of blackened death.  Formed in 1993 and going through many incarnations in their history, the personnel clearly has the whole riffing game down pat at this point.  From the standpoint of creating some decent 100-mph guitar riffs, Recremation is a very good CD.  And while the growling isn’t unique at all, it’s also not choked out in inaudible spurts like so much death and metalcore today.  In fact, you can almost follow along without a lyric sheet!  The bass has a noticeable presence in the recording which clearly adds to the resulting low-end jolt of songs like “Buried By Me” and “The End Written In Blood.”  The guitar soloing is, however, a slight problem.  There isn’t enough of it!  When it’s present, like in the latter song, it can be fierce enough to tear you a new one.  And while it’s a little too buried in the mix to be fully effective, the main worry is why not showcase a guy who can play this well?  But then again, this same guitarist’s contribution to “Under The Five-Pointed Star” is ominously weak and may make me rethink my desire for more.  Ultimately, there’s no denying the potential and obvious talent of this band, but Nominon also doesn’t impress in any way beyond creating what seems like a fairly standard crush of speed and Satanism.  Worthy but not noteworthy.