Nekrogoblikon’s new EP, The Boiling Sea comes out this Friday. Today, we’ve got Eric, Raptor and Alex counting down twelve albums that influenced their writing. Check out the list below!
Children of Bodom - Follow the Reaper
Alex: When discussing influences for any Nekrogoblikon release, Children of Bodom always has to be mentioned, as they’re a primary instrumental influence for Eric, Raptor, and myself. I mention Follow the Reaper here specifically because of our song “Dead-ish” (instrumentally composed by Eric), which feels like a similar vibe to that album. When it came time for me to write lyrics, it felt very natural to channel a little bit of Alexi’s irreverent “fuck you” attitude into them.
Fear Factory - Demanufacture
Alex: I’ve been a Fear Factory fan for a very long time - in fact, when I was in high school and learning how to program drums and record myself on guitar and bass, “Replica” was the first song I ever recorded a cover of.
However I would say this release is the first time I’ve taken direct influence from them for a riff/part for Nekrogoblikon - specifically the verse in “Fiend” with the machine-gun synchronized kick drums and guitar chugs. We of course gave it the Nekro twist by having it move melodically with layers of harpsichords and synths.
Eric: One of the few albums that was still in rotation when we moved on from listening to nu-metal and started getting into heavier music, this one still holds up.
Between the Buried and Me - Colors
Alex: I was already in Nekrogoblikon when this album came out and it absolutely blew my mind - there’s even some moments on Stench that were influenced by it. For the song “Secret Elephant” I aimed to write the bridge instrumental in a relative major key, and I ended up with the same chord progression as the first track on Colors, “Foam Born (A) The Backtrack”.
Slipknot - Iowa
Alex: At one point in time I knew every word on this album. I always loved how Corey Taylor struck the perfect balance between simple (yet powerful) aggression and eloquence when it came to lyrics. His style of vocal patterning also had a huge impact on how I write growling rhythms.
Eric: Iowa is just an absurdly heavy album, especially for the time, it blew us away when it came out and it really left a lasting impression.
Bilmuri - AMERICAN MOTOR SPORTS
Alex: Raptor wrote a majority of the clean vocal melodies on the EP and during that period of time this was his most played album.
Raptor: The hooks are undeniable - the vocal melodies, the grooves, the sax leads - all of them!
Faith No More - Angel Dust
Alex: This album is not only one of mine and Joe’s all-time favorites in general but also remains a constant reminder to not let any two songs on a release sound similar. Instead, the goal is always to have a collection of songs that each can be its own mini-universe, which is what Angel Dust is a perfect example of.
Archspire - Bleed the Future
Eric: Archspire is a go-to tech death band when we want to sink some beers to something heavy and fast (extremely fast). Not to downplay their first album by any means, but Bleed the Future was a huge leap in quality for both their songwriting and production. Now having seen them live a number of times, they are taking extreme music to a whole new level, and we appreciate their execution that much more knowing they’re just a bunch of goofballs.
The Bloodhound Gang - Hooray For Boobies
Eric: I think all of us in our own unique lives and corners of the world grew up singing along to this one when it came out, and it still carries a message that is just as relevant today as it was in the 90s. One of those records that embeds itself in your subconscious for its simplicity, humor, and quality songwriting, delivered with a tone of voice that makes us regular guys feel like we had a legitimate shot at creating our own hit songs.
System of a Down - Toxicity
Eric: Another album we were all (and still are) independently fans of. Heavy music on the radio was still relatively new at the time, and SOAD’s melodies are as undeniable as their unique brand of silly, while still talking about topics with deep and personal meaning. It’s hard to ignore anything that knocked our socks off this hard when it came out so it will forever be an important influence in our own writing.
Infected Mushroom - Vicious Delicious
Eric: Infected Mushroom is a high-ranking Nekro favorite that always hits the spot and sets the mood whenever we just want something to jam out to. Every record from these guys is a certified banger, but Vicious Delicious in particular stands apart for the number of hooks and memorable moments they crammed into an album with top-tier production, and changed the game in a sense of how psytrance and electronic music could be presented. Some of the most well written and catchiest electronic music you can sing along to.
Virtual Riot - Stealing Fire
Eric: VR is one of the best electronic music artists of the modern age. He’s primarily a dubstep producer, but underneath that exterior you can hear a wide range of styles on Stealing Fire, tons of catchy melodies and grooves, and some truly heavy jams. His sound design is mind-blowingly next level, he creates sounds nobody else does, and through all the chaos still somehow has the cleanest mixdowns I’ve ever heard from this type of music.
Lots of artists in this space tend to pump out singles and EPs, and while VR is no different, he still manages toone-up himself and put out thoughtfully executed full-length albums every few years. Stealing Fire is a great one from start to finish, every song gracefully flows into the next, it’s a really enjoyable listen as a whole if you’re open minded to music with strange, loud and futuristic Yoinking noises. Immersing myself in this album as well as learning from his process via YouTube has helped me grow immensely as a producer and sound designer.