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Necronomicon's 2012 album Invictus has an attitude of old-school Thrash with a modern production. The songs aren't particularly noteworthy, sounding an awful lot like Testament of the last 20 years. The guitars have some bite, the solos are serviceable and the vocals are raspy, but understandable. It is the production that lets the album down far more than the unoriginal songwriting. All the rough spots have been sanded smooth and the sharp edges have been knocked off so the band sounds confined and unable to let loose. "Upon Black Wings" is the best track, displaying some Iron Maiden-influenced riffing that tries hard to break away from the producer's leash. On the other hand, the ballad "Before the Curtain Falls" is cloying and relies too heavily on the string arrangement.

Where Invictus shines is the bonus tracks. The unplugged version of "Possessed Again..." is a throwaway, but then the band takes us through four songs recorded live in Russia. Now, this is Thrash. Necronomicon's energy and enthusiasm pour out in torrents. They showcase a band that, despite not being much different from a hundred other bands, is probably a hell of a lot of fun to see live.

If you like Testament's output over the last couple of decades, you'll like Invictus. Just make sure the copy you pick up has the live bonus tracks, as they make the album.