The secret to enjoying brutal death metal is, first, endure the music; then, develop the taste, gradually hearing the intricacies behind the blur. But, even on previous albums, I though it was kind of hard to penetrate behind the drum onslaught, to really enjoy the technicality. But on this album, the instruments are evenly mixed, and the tempos a little more varied, making it by far their most enjoyable album. The riffs come out much clearer, the clever dissonances that Eric Rutan concocts all the more jarring. But the rhythm section is still an astonishment; snare and double bass penetrating beyond light speed, slowing down occasionally for some Morbid Angel type grooving. Definitely a doomier feel.
Lyrically, dark themes of monarchy, power, Satan, and dark spirituality prevail, more like a black metal band, instead of the graveyard obsessions most death metal bands explore. This passage sums things up nicely. Not exactly original, but very metal:
"Hear my prayers
King of the majestic crown
Grant them eternal rest
Cometh forth
In the name of the dark lord
As the abyss shall swallow them whole"
All in all, I enjoyed my ass kicking so much more.
Rating: 8.5 out of 10
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