MORBID ANGEL - Heretic
1. Cleansed In Pestilence (Blade of Elohim)
2. Enshrined By Grace
3. Beneath the Hollow
4. Curse the Flesh
5. Praise the Strength
6. Stricken Arise
7. Place oF Many Deaths
8. Abyssous
9. God Of Our Own Divinity
10. Within Thy Enemy
11. Memories Of the Past
12. Victorious March Of Rain the Conqueror
13. Drum Check
14. Born Again
Label: Earache Records
Release date: 2003
Artist site: http://wwww.morbidangel.com/
GRADE:
8/10
There seems to be this certain contingency of MORBID ANGEL fans that want to have this Steve Tucker vs. David Vincent thing play out on the internet, as almost every negative review I see appears to attempt to place the blame on Tucker. I myself have been a fan since the beginning and I can honestly say that I prefer Tucker's vocals to Vincent's, both live and on record. They are far moe brutal, his lyrical work is superior, and with Heretic, Tucker, along with the rest of MORBID ANGEL prove once again why they are considered to be of the elite in extreme metal.
You know what I like most about this band? Not one of their releases sounds like the previous, yet they are all undeniably MORBID ANGEL. There's this essence peresent on all of their material and this latest is no exception. Heretic is the band's third release as a trio, previous albums Covenant (1993) and Formulas Fatal To The Flesh (1998) also featured Trey Azagthoth as the sole guitarist. As disappointed as I was upon hearing of Erik Rutan's departure from the group, I must say that this part of MORBID ANGEL's catalog always intrigues me as it is a deeper look into the warped musical mind of Azagthoth. It also marks the return of Tucker, who left for a brief period only to return fully charged. With production being handled by the band and their live engineer Juan "Punchy" Gonzalez, they once again succeed in sounding different yet remaining true to their core.
"Cleansed In Pestilence (Blade Of Elohim)" starts the proceedings off in classic MORBID ANGEL style, full of shapeshifting, tempo bending mazes of manic metal madness. Those godforsaken solos!! "Enshrined By Grace" has a killer intro riff that leads into a blasting section that just goes to show why drummer Pete Sandoval is still one of the masters of the art. Azagthoth's leads on this one sound like running water, if that makes any sense. Maybe liquid is the word I'm looking for, hell I don't know! The daddy of all riffs may very well be the main one found on "Beneath The Hollow." The band is so tight here, I cream myself just thinking about what this one is going to sound like live, total death march! They pick up speed on the following track, "Curse The Flesh," which features one of my favorite choruses on Heretic, as well as one of my favorite vocal performances.
Now I am presented with "Praise The Strength" and the song couldn't be more appropriately titled. Everything completely interlocks on this one and the result is the equivalent of an all out war between the Elder Gods and the Ancient Ones. Azagthoth continues to find ways to further push the envelope in death metal. "Stricken Arise" is a fast paced number with a chorus that absolutely rules thanks to Tucker's catchy, yet brutal vocals. Very reminiscent of some of the earlier Altars Of Madness material, which will no doubt please some fans.
Up next begins a series of similar instances on this release where I have mixed reactions to what I'm hearing. On one hand they are flawlessly executed and most definitely achieve the desired effect in the context of the vibe the band are trying to capture. On the other hand, however, these "songs" can be and probably will be, skipped over after repeated listens. "Place Of Many Deaths," followed immediately by "Abyssous" fit this category. Thankfully, "God Of Our Own Divinity" rages back to form and features a guest appearance by NILE guitarist Karl Sanders on the final guitar lead. Before that moment arrives though, around the three minute mark we are treated to a killer tempo change and riff that leads to standard Azagthoth lead rippage. It is over this riff that Sanders will be soloing over at the end.
"Within Thy Enemy" showcases Sandoval's blasting expertise, while Azagthoth's twisted rhythms play like a horde of racing demons spiralling upward from the depths of the abyss. "Memories of the Past" is an acoustic piece written by Sandoval, as is the next track, which definitely sounds like a victory march. In my opinion, Heretic should've ended after that. "Drum Check" is exactly that, and after one listen the joke wears thin. We get the point Pete, you destroy the drumkit!
Why put this on here and not on the bonus disc that comes with the cd is beyond me. The same can be said for "Born Again," which is essentially Azagthoth soloing through a spacey effect. Woo-hoo!! Throw that fucker on the second disc! When the song ends, there is a lot of silence with a few surprises over the course of a fifteen minute or so period. The bonus disc or "Bonus Levels," as it is referred to here, appears to be a bunch of studio outtakes. It's ok, but I won't find myself going to it much.
So, final verdict? In these eyes, MORBID ANGEL have delivered another fine chapter with Heretic. I wonder what the letter "I" holds in store, keeping in mind that they've already had a song called that. Will they make it through the entire alphabet? Now that would be amazing.
PJ
1. Cleansed In Pestilence (Blade of Elohim)
2. Enshrined By Grace
3. Beneath the Hollow
4. Curse the Flesh
5. Praise the Strength
6. Stricken Arise
7. Place oF Many Deaths
8. Abyssous
9. God Of Our Own Divinity
10. Within Thy Enemy
11. Memories Of the Past
12. Victorious March Of Rain the Conqueror
13. Drum Check
14. Born Again
Label: Earache Records
Release date: 2003
Artist site: http://wwww.morbidangel.com/
GRADE:
8/10
There seems to be this certain contingency of MORBID ANGEL fans that want to have this Steve Tucker vs. David Vincent thing play out on the internet, as almost every negative review I see appears to attempt to place the blame on Tucker. I myself have been a fan since the beginning and I can honestly say that I prefer Tucker's vocals to Vincent's, both live and on record. They are far moe brutal, his lyrical work is superior, and with Heretic, Tucker, along with the rest of MORBID ANGEL prove once again why they are considered to be of the elite in extreme metal.
You know what I like most about this band? Not one of their releases sounds like the previous, yet they are all undeniably MORBID ANGEL. There's this essence peresent on all of their material and this latest is no exception. Heretic is the band's third release as a trio, previous albums Covenant (1993) and Formulas Fatal To The Flesh (1998) also featured Trey Azagthoth as the sole guitarist. As disappointed as I was upon hearing of Erik Rutan's departure from the group, I must say that this part of MORBID ANGEL's catalog always intrigues me as it is a deeper look into the warped musical mind of Azagthoth. It also marks the return of Tucker, who left for a brief period only to return fully charged. With production being handled by the band and their live engineer Juan "Punchy" Gonzalez, they once again succeed in sounding different yet remaining true to their core.
"Cleansed In Pestilence (Blade Of Elohim)" starts the proceedings off in classic MORBID ANGEL style, full of shapeshifting, tempo bending mazes of manic metal madness. Those godforsaken solos!! "Enshrined By Grace" has a killer intro riff that leads into a blasting section that just goes to show why drummer Pete Sandoval is still one of the masters of the art. Azagthoth's leads on this one sound like running water, if that makes any sense. Maybe liquid is the word I'm looking for, hell I don't know! The daddy of all riffs may very well be the main one found on "Beneath The Hollow." The band is so tight here, I cream myself just thinking about what this one is going to sound like live, total death march! They pick up speed on the following track, "Curse The Flesh," which features one of my favorite choruses on Heretic, as well as one of my favorite vocal performances.
Now I am presented with "Praise The Strength" and the song couldn't be more appropriately titled. Everything completely interlocks on this one and the result is the equivalent of an all out war between the Elder Gods and the Ancient Ones. Azagthoth continues to find ways to further push the envelope in death metal. "Stricken Arise" is a fast paced number with a chorus that absolutely rules thanks to Tucker's catchy, yet brutal vocals. Very reminiscent of some of the earlier Altars Of Madness material, which will no doubt please some fans.
Up next begins a series of similar instances on this release where I have mixed reactions to what I'm hearing. On one hand they are flawlessly executed and most definitely achieve the desired effect in the context of the vibe the band are trying to capture. On the other hand, however, these "songs" can be and probably will be, skipped over after repeated listens. "Place Of Many Deaths," followed immediately by "Abyssous" fit this category. Thankfully, "God Of Our Own Divinity" rages back to form and features a guest appearance by NILE guitarist Karl Sanders on the final guitar lead. Before that moment arrives though, around the three minute mark we are treated to a killer tempo change and riff that leads to standard Azagthoth lead rippage. It is over this riff that Sanders will be soloing over at the end.
"Within Thy Enemy" showcases Sandoval's blasting expertise, while Azagthoth's twisted rhythms play like a horde of racing demons spiralling upward from the depths of the abyss. "Memories of the Past" is an acoustic piece written by Sandoval, as is the next track, which definitely sounds like a victory march. In my opinion, Heretic should've ended after that. "Drum Check" is exactly that, and after one listen the joke wears thin. We get the point Pete, you destroy the drumkit!
Why put this on here and not on the bonus disc that comes with the cd is beyond me. The same can be said for "Born Again," which is essentially Azagthoth soloing through a spacey effect. Woo-hoo!! Throw that fucker on the second disc! When the song ends, there is a lot of silence with a few surprises over the course of a fifteen minute or so period. The bonus disc or "Bonus Levels," as it is referred to here, appears to be a bunch of studio outtakes. It's ok, but I won't find myself going to it much.
So, final verdict? In these eyes, MORBID ANGEL have delivered another fine chapter with Heretic. I wonder what the letter "I" holds in store, keeping in mind that they've already had a song called that. Will they make it through the entire alphabet? Now that would be amazing.
PJ
