Hypocrisy Virus
Nuclear Blast 2005
By Adam McAuley
I rather enjoyed this album, especially considering the somewhat bland direction the band took with Catch-22. The vibe is still futuristic, but the aggression factor has been turned up as there is a far more distinct death metal aura to the proceedings. The first song erupts from the brief intro in fine fashion and the stage is perfectly set for a fairly enjoyable listen. Peter Tatgren's vocals fit the proceedings quite well, especially with the particular style played on the album; his acidic voicings complementing the proceedings an insurmountable amount.
The music remains fairly fast throughout, but on a couple occasions it slows down and grooves reminding me of early to mid-period Morbid Angel (some moments from Covenant or Domination), but stays within the fairly rollicking pallette they have set up. At others, it becomes more melodic and sonorous, encouraging you to sing along with what's being played. Added to the mix is some fairly pounding percussion to create a very entertaining listen throughout. The biggest flaw with the album lies within the fact that there is nothing astoundingly original to be found here, as you can hear similar strains in a lot of death metal, but the quality of the music is what suprises me the most considering that I've never found Hyprocrisy a particularly mind-blowing act to begin with.
Add a punchy production job to everything else and what you have is a nicely rounded disc worth at least a few solid listens. Though possibly not quite the best you'll during the year, Virus is nonetheless a very solid disc that demands your attention. These veterans are still capable of churning out some quality material.
7.5/10
Hypocrisy at Metal Storm
Official Nuclear Blast Website
Nuclear Blast 2005
By Adam McAuley
I rather enjoyed this album, especially considering the somewhat bland direction the band took with Catch-22. The vibe is still futuristic, but the aggression factor has been turned up as there is a far more distinct death metal aura to the proceedings. The first song erupts from the brief intro in fine fashion and the stage is perfectly set for a fairly enjoyable listen. Peter Tatgren's vocals fit the proceedings quite well, especially with the particular style played on the album; his acidic voicings complementing the proceedings an insurmountable amount.
The music remains fairly fast throughout, but on a couple occasions it slows down and grooves reminding me of early to mid-period Morbid Angel (some moments from Covenant or Domination), but stays within the fairly rollicking pallette they have set up. At others, it becomes more melodic and sonorous, encouraging you to sing along with what's being played. Added to the mix is some fairly pounding percussion to create a very entertaining listen throughout. The biggest flaw with the album lies within the fact that there is nothing astoundingly original to be found here, as you can hear similar strains in a lot of death metal, but the quality of the music is what suprises me the most considering that I've never found Hyprocrisy a particularly mind-blowing act to begin with.
Add a punchy production job to everything else and what you have is a nicely rounded disc worth at least a few solid listens. Though possibly not quite the best you'll during the year, Virus is nonetheless a very solid disc that demands your attention. These veterans are still capable of churning out some quality material.
7.5/10
Hypocrisy at Metal Storm
Official Nuclear Blast Website
