With a much fuller, expanded symphonic and choral element, including some well done dramatic, female operatic vocals, Necronautical, while still a symphonic black metal band at their roots, they have dropped the corpse paint, and are now delving into blackened/death, with some more progressive elements. You can hear more of say Rotting Christ and SepticFlesh, but I think the band has been listening to Fleshgod Apocalypse a little. Just listen to throttling , killer opener “Ritual & Recursion”, and tell me that could not have come from Agony or King. Especially that gorgeous, dramatic, choral blast and bridge about 1:50 in. Simply stunning.

The rest of the album follows suit. Armed with a big, bombastic production from Conan’s Chris Fielding, the songs all hit home, without a weak one in the 9. But a few standout, for example, the title track has a fantastic, melodic gallop and the fourth song “Hypnagogia”, an arguable personal favorite, has a brilliant choral chorus to die for. Then there’s the pure orchestral bombast and stern march of “Pure Consciousness Event”, the urgent melodic canter and moody respite of “Necropsychonautics” and the closing track,  “Death Magick Triumphant” (not counting aa symphonically drenched  cover of Slayer’s “Disciple” from God Hates Us All), a bombastic, mid paced epic with some clean vocals and killer, somber melodies  and choirs to round the album out perfectly.

With Slain in the Spirit, Necronautical has taken that elusive ‘next step’ in their sound and career and delivered an album that like Utbyrd‘s Varskrik, should heralded as one of 2021s best symphonic black metal albums.  Also, with four albums, I think they are now ready to be mentioned in the same breath as some of their modern symphonic metal peers like Carach Angren and such. Cradle of Filth‘s upcoming  Existence is  Futile has better bring it.

It’s to listen to say opener “Pure Moon” especially the  3:25 mark and not think of Cradle of Filth or even incestuous sibling Hecate Enthroned. Add the nautical theme and you also get a heavy sense of Carach Angren‘s Death Came Through A Phantom Ship. Big, crisp, clean guitars, high pitched vocals, lots of sweeping gothic keyboards, and plenty of theatrics, corpse paint and militant uniforms. But it is done rather well and adds to 2016s surprisingly good year of symphonic black metal.

With one member serving in fellow UK black metal act Ethereal (Candlelight Records) there’s some experience  and confidence here and it shows. While the material is far from original its grandiose, blasting and suitably over dressed. It’s not ashamed of its influences, often wearing them full on their sleeve like a a bold  military insignia, I mean could the hawkish shriek that arises at 0:51 in “Spitzenkörper” be any less Dani Filth? Still though, there is a lot to like, especially if like me you like some symphonic black metal.

The 7 songs are a decent length, making for 52 minute run time that, while not commanding its a fun, maritime, symphonic black metal romp. You get some mid paced marches and some decent clean vocals like in “Oceanus Procellarum”, haunting atmospherics like the starts of the excellent, 11 minute “Strom” (followed by a pretty nice symphonic blast) and some pure orchestral ragers like the title track. There is even  slower, moodier track in closer “Theia”, which again imbues Cradle of Filth ( “The Black Goddess Rises”), and that’s OK. But with Dani Filth and Co aging, it might be time to groom a replacement and Necronautical certainly has the potential to be just that.