Neocaesar is the new band formed by current members of Dutch death metal veterans Houwitser and ex-members of legends Sinister. That is to say, the quartet, fearing Mike van Mastrigt (vocals), Bart van Wallenberg (guitars), Eric de Windt (drums), and Michel Alderliefsten (bass), aren’t doing the gothic thing or the deathcore thing. They’re living the tried and true ethos of Dutch death metal, the barbaric, no-compromise kind distilled from the heydays of Thanatos and Pestilence and Altar and Nembrionic to the present day. Consider Neocaesar the invocation of releases like Cross the Styx and Diabolical Summoning.
And the Dutch aren’t known to pull punches, and Neocaesar’s debut album, 11:11, illustrates that in spades. From opening track “From Hell” to the brutal seven-minute closer “Blood of the Nephilim,” 11:11 is the blueprint for angelic anguish. Or, simply put, brutality. Originally self-released by the band, 11:11 was picked up in 2017 by Spanish indie Xtreem Music for wider distribution.
Van Mastrigt agrees, saying: “Come and celebrate, the boys from hell are back. Arrived through the Absu storm, sworn to hate and united to unleash Armageddon. The higher sequence, connecting to other dimensions. Take the path of the serpent god’s and enter an unknown ancient world. Let us enlighten you or behold our rage and fury. 11:11 a prelude to darkness of angelic carnage.”
Death is upon you. The apocalypse of Monday is upon you.
NOTE: The pull-down on the flash player to toggle the tracklist.
** Neocaesar’s debut full-length, 11:11, is out December 5th on Xtreem Music. No pre-order is set, but visit Xtreem’s English store (HERE) to inquire. In death metal there is no compromise.
