Illdisposed – The Prestige
AFM records – AFM 207-2 – 31 March 2008
by John Norby
One of Denmark’s most revered extreme metal bands since their formation in 1991, Illdisposed have enjoyed a steady run of high-quality releases throughout their careers. While last album, the heavy-as-hell Burn Me Wicked, dabbled in industrial and sampled experimentation, The Prestige, shifts back to an earlier version of the Danish death metal quintet and unleashes a more conventional attack on the senses. There’s plenty of groove in play, and melody is utilized sparingly and only when it serves to enhance the brutality being doled out.
As ever, Bo Summer’s uncompromising vocal brutality drives the music along with the force of a thousand lunatics, demolishing all in sight with his super-guttural bellows and bursting eardrums with his inhuman screams when the urge takes him.
With a powerful production courtesy of Fredrik Nordstrom complimenting the super-tight performances displayed by the lads, it’s a cinch that The Prestige can be classed as one of the most appropriately-titled albums released this year.
On a sidenote, reviewing 96-track death metal promo albums where each song has been split into multiple parts might be fine these days, but when the issuer hasn’t bothered to indicate which numbers refer to which songs it can be bloody annoying! Okay, in this case it has been indicated - on the disc - but do I really want to be part way through listening only to wonder what riff belongs to what song? No! Minor gripe, maybe… major pain in the baws, definitely!
But anyway… Illdisposed – The Prestige. Devastatingly essential album!
Official Illdisposed Website
Official Illdisposed Myspace
Official AFM records Website
AFM records – AFM 207-2 – 31 March 2008
by John Norby
One of Denmark’s most revered extreme metal bands since their formation in 1991, Illdisposed have enjoyed a steady run of high-quality releases throughout their careers. While last album, the heavy-as-hell Burn Me Wicked, dabbled in industrial and sampled experimentation, The Prestige, shifts back to an earlier version of the Danish death metal quintet and unleashes a more conventional attack on the senses. There’s plenty of groove in play, and melody is utilized sparingly and only when it serves to enhance the brutality being doled out.
As ever, Bo Summer’s uncompromising vocal brutality drives the music along with the force of a thousand lunatics, demolishing all in sight with his super-guttural bellows and bursting eardrums with his inhuman screams when the urge takes him.
With a powerful production courtesy of Fredrik Nordstrom complimenting the super-tight performances displayed by the lads, it’s a cinch that The Prestige can be classed as one of the most appropriately-titled albums released this year.
On a sidenote, reviewing 96-track death metal promo albums where each song has been split into multiple parts might be fine these days, but when the issuer hasn’t bothered to indicate which numbers refer to which songs it can be bloody annoying! Okay, in this case it has been indicated - on the disc - but do I really want to be part way through listening only to wonder what riff belongs to what song? No! Minor gripe, maybe… major pain in the baws, definitely!
But anyway… Illdisposed – The Prestige. Devastatingly essential album!
Official Illdisposed Website
Official Illdisposed Myspace
Official AFM records Website
