Netherbird - The Ferocious Tides of Fate

Netherbird The Ferocious Tides of Fate cover
Netherbird
The Ferocious Tides of Fate
Scarecrow Recordings/Sound Pollution
2013
5.5
This Swedish band, in its 10th year of existence, has covered a long road but has always stayed true to its music values throughout the years. Now on their third release Netherbird continue to do what they do without any noticeable music variations.
 
Surely, they have matured as musicians but their music hasn’t evolved (that much) through the years. Perhaps that ain’t bad for their die-hard fans but for others who seek (music) variants and progression it probably won’t be very nice. Anyhow, the band’s death/black metal music with several thrash/death & melodic features is still vigorous, evil, gloomy and “raw” at times.
 
For instance, the 11+ track “Along the Colonnades” leaves much to be desired and becomes a bit tiresome in the end. Bands like Netherbird do not need long tracks but shorter and more memorable ones. That’s exactly the case here. The tracks are solid but the melodies are kinda abstract and generic in their majority. The production is great though. The album was recorded at Scarecrow studio, produced by Nord at Park Studios & mastered by Sverker Widgren at Wing Studios.
 
“The Ferocious Tides of Fate” will surely appeal to the band’s loyal devotees but it’s not the album that will put them in the Premier League of their genre. Surely Netherbird can do better than this but it’s in their hands to do so in the future. The antagonism out there is cruel and it needs something more in order to go further…
 
PS: On the band’s official site here you can download the album for free. I don’t know for how much it will be ongoing, so if you’re interested do not lose any time.