They've been around for a decade or so, and this is the third full-length release from the Polish black/death metal band Crionics. There are some really good extreme bands from Poland (Behemoth, Vader, Decapitated), and Crionics is on the verge of reaching that echelon.
Neuthrone combines the punishing intensity, blast beats and pounding riffs of death metal with symphonic black metal. The synths aren't dominant by any means, but they add a dark and forbidding atmosphere to the songs and give them more depth and texture. The band's songwriting has improved, making the songs more memorable and this a stronger effort than 2005's Armageddon Evolution.
Crionics nicely balances the death and black metal elements. Some songs are fast and brutal, others more reserved and atmospheric, but no less intense. Devotees of blackened death metal should enjoy Neuthrone.
