Attn Lurching Angel

[Ellestin]

track by track report
(first time through so don't take that too seriously)

1. Omni Potens (intro)
symphonic build from the pits of vengeful seraphs with teeth. Decidedly unimpressive

2. Too Extreme!
for a second there I thought I was listening to Bal Sagoth. Then I wished I was listening to Bal Sagoth instead...

3. Existo Vulgare
return to form, a strong track with much technical depth and guitar swirls from Trey

4. Blades for Baal
more return to form. Brutal, exciting, excellent track!

5. I am Morbid
an exercise in mid-tempo self-celebration. The chorus is bullshit. Otherwise a nice snack with a rock'n'roll appeal

6. 10 More Dead
another classic track, but I doubt it will become a classic! Not too fond of the chanted leitmotiv.

7. Destructos vs. The Earth
let's leave it at that shall we

8. Nevermore
a worthy single, but the chanting once again feels out of place

9. Beauty meets Beast
meets boredom

10. Radikult
interesting... a pounding march with some sharp harmonics and unbridled solos. That's the "new" MA I'd have wished for.

11. Profundis - Mea Culpa
speedo metal

Bottom line: HIGHLY ambivalent feelings as you can guess... About one third of the album will make you forget Gojira ever existed, the rest is either unremarkable or heavily on the wtf side of things...

 

[lurch70]

haha ... thanks for this! so basically 2-3 tracks of the same old same old, 1 that sounds like where they SHOULD have gone and the rest an excersise in techno rhythms?

 

[Ellestin]

on second listen Radikult strikes me as dance-floorish to the core. No idea what I was thinking the first time around... Like the album itself this song is an unhealthy balance of overwhelming greatness and experimental fiasco.

 

[lurch70]

I am all for these experimentations and can enjoy them on different levels ... however these radical departures I think would have been smart to release as a side project or something.
I could give two shits ... but a) it will alienate their hardcore audience (especially the massive South American one ... there is already a big "fuck this" attitude going around based on these reviews) ... and b) at this stage in their career they aren't going to pick up new fans into this type of "new" stuff.

not sure what the logic behind it all is ... maybe it's just some drug induced fuck everyone release ... in which case it has the underground spirit

 

[lurch70]

that being said ... I am now dying to hear it

 

[lurch70]

i likey this one

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JxPESxzNSAQ&feature=related[/ame]

 

[Ellestin]

yep it's one of the best ones, with 10 More Dead and Blades for Baal (my favorite). Ironically, the two latter track were written by Destructhor of Zyklon, who is therefore the one standing for the "old" MA identity.

I interviewed David Vincent yesterday and, though he was quite talkative and polite enough, I could easily tell how uncomfortable (or maybe blinded) he is talking about the music beyond statements like "the album is fucking awesome"; business as usual...

 

[lurch70]

who is "Destructhor of Zyklon"?

 

[Ellestin]

dude I thought you were all over blabbermouth and shit

http://www.apeshit.org/news/myrkskogzyklons-destructhor-joins-morbid-angel/

 

[lurch70]

dude I thought you were all over blabbermouth and shit

http://www.apeshit.org/news/myrkskogzyklons-destructhor-joins-morbid-angel/

 

[lurch70]

just got this and listening ... WTF IS GOING ON?

 

[lurch70]

wow just wow ... this thing has no replay value at all.

the lyrics even on the tracks which are half way decent musically are laughable.

needs more Lars' dad advice

 

[lurch70]

my fave track: Destructos vs. the Earth / Attack ... strangely. but knowing it's MA performing it is making me cringe.

 

[lurch70]

so ...
on my 2nd spin of this disc. it's daring to say the least.
2 things it has going for it. First is the fact the all the tracks are very individual and stand out from one another. could never say this about any other MA release. second is that they are all catchy as hell; for better or worse.
I was prepared for this direction change but wasn't expecting this kind of poppy/light techno sound but something darker.
this could all have been swallowed easier with more intelligent lyrics as well which are really the weakest point of the record.


my opinion will likely change again tomorrow.

 

[Ellestin]

yeah it's pretty much total bullshit ain't it

 

[lurch70]

man, that Vincent interview better be gold. there should have been a lot of WTF questions.

 

[Ellestin]

man, that Vincent interview better be gold. there should have been a lot of WTF questions.

as a matter of fact it's only available in French, I have even deleted the sound files by now
It's a downer interview anyway by any standard, it was hard to make him say anything of import beyond the album is great buy or be a fool or something. When I tackled the subject of the "experimental" sound and how some fans might be a little bit upset, he shrugged it off as irrelevant, saying something like he did not see the big difference with previous albums... Even the more personal, off-topic questions he dispatched in one or two sentences. I had memories of him being much more humble and talkative back in the days. Genitorturers will do that to anyone I guess.

 

[lurch70]

did you ask him why he is beginning to look like Nikki Sixx?

 

[einride]

oh, there already was a thread i guess

lurch you are officially the only person on this board who cares about morbid angel it seems

 

[lurch70]

don't be the cool guy ... admit your love.