Godwatt - Necropolis

Share this on Facebook | Share this on Twitter

GODWATT are a stoner/doom metal band, based out of Italy, and formed in 2006 (as GODWATT REDEMPTION). This is their 6^th full length album, and 7^th total release, if you include their “Catrame” EP from 2014. They are currently under the Jolly Roger Records label. The album clocks in at 46:58 over 9 tracks.

The opener “Necropolis” starts off with a nice organ/keyboard intro which transitions into a blistering riff reminiscent of SIXTY WATT SHAMAN, we get a mix of memorable melodies, guitar effects, pounding bass and tolling bells. A great intro for what is to follow. “Morendo” quickens the pace a bit, with faster drumming and very groovy riffs that remind a bit of DOWN. The vocals from Moris Fosco, which are always in his native Italian, are a cross between KYUSS and CANDLEMASS, and show a lot of emotion. This track has some cool melodies and even some psychedelic effects in the background, the song is simple and effective.

“Siamo noi il male” is the longest track on the album, clocking in at almost 9 minutes. Here we get SABBATH-like vocals, very deep and powerful riffing, with a nice sauce of groove, great solos and a really strong chorus, not to mention the bridge in this song is one of the strongest of this entire album. “E' la tua ora”, has more keyboard effects to open up the song. Much higher pitch guitars this time make their way onto the album, melancholy akin to MY DYING BRIDE, and balances well between the stoner aspects and doom elements this band possesses.

“Tra le tue carni” is the shortest track and one of my favorites on the album because it has that “Sabbra Cadabra” feel to it. We even get some cow bell in here for extra measure. “La morte è solo tua” is a much slower and darker piece than anything else on the album even if it contains trademark heavy grooves. There are some very nice passages here and it almost feels like we on a journey in the desert. “Tenebre” has a music video made for it and for good reason, it is a straightforward juggernaut of a headbanger, similar to “Corpsecycle” from CATHEDRAL. This is a fast one that I am sure will be a crowd favorite.

“R.I.P.” is an interlude that has some pristine sounding clean guitars, very mellow but also captivating, a perfect break on the album that flows into the final track perfectly. “Necrosadico“, has some nice distortion in the guitars and some of the nicer drum patterns, a good balance between blistering heaviness and tempo breakdowns. Overall, this is a really solid effort but top to bottom, every song has its key parts that definitely make these guys one of the best stoner bands I have heard this year.

Songwriting: 8
Originality: 8
Memorability: 8
Production: 9