MORBID ANGEL - "KINGDOMS DISDAINED" (2017)

MORBID ANGEL - "KINGDOMS DISDAINED"
(Running time: 47:42 minutes; 11 songs)
("Silver Lining Music"; 2017; CD):

Damn it, too much days passed by without allowing me to do some new stuff up here finally again, fuck, but so far currently I still haven't given up (...completly...) on my plan of delivering you all the record-reviews on 2017 releases up here for you before christmas... no, not yet given up (at least not completly)... but I'm preparing myself for the 'happening' that it maybe could take me longer... but at least I'll try everything to get it all done latest before the change of the years 2017-2018... and so without any further talking straight back finally into the action again, yes, and so now finally here comes my newest post for you which means my newest record-review for you, yes, and this time it's on the brandnew MORBID ANGEL full-length-album "KINGDOMS DISDAINED" that's released still very recently this very year of 2017 via (the to me so far sort of totally unknown) "SILVER LINING MUSIC" label. So, yes, MORBID ANGEL... the (so it seems to me) highly controversial precursor release never 'came to my ears' and so MORBID ANGEL sort of always were and still are absolute Death Metal kings to/for me... okay, even "HERETIC" never sort of speaked to me, hm, but maybe that's also just me and not 'something of general concern', who knows... aynway... you maybe get already sort of a good impression of how excited I was when I finally got to listen to MORBID ANGEL's "KINGDOMS DISDAINED", yes, and now to what used to hit me and what will hit you: Metal of Death!!! Steve Tucker is back in the camp of the morbid angels and Trey Azagthoth also recruited with Scotty Fuller a new drummer and this bestial three piece created "KINGDOMS DISDAINED" and for all what I got so far this seems to be a pretty often more or less heavily discussed album. A lot seem to see and judge MORBID ANGEL's "KINGDOMS DISDAINED" pretty to partly even very critical, and not only the so it seems anyhow only few fanboys of the precursor album (and if they are anyway more than only a few then they seem to be not very vocal at all) do so... to be honest I don't really get what this whole bitching is all about... MORBID ANGEL are around since freaking fucking decades and they very much established what extreme Death Metal is all about and set the standards again and again so when I now read that they would not 'newly-invent-the-wheel' (while at the same time- at best- still being critizes for the more experimental songs on the precursor release...) I can only wonder and not at least because from my point of view MORBID ANGEL created with "KINGDOMS DISDAINED" a very fresh and mostly from start-to-finish very rousing, alive-lively, and grapping album with a good to big bunch of really strong to excellent new songs, yes, and this is high skilled headcracking and bonesmashing, harsh and brutal and yet incredible technical and massively diverse blasphemous Death Metal on a very high skilled level of quality and that's packed up full with exciting and grapping moments and elements that enrich it all massively and all is cultivated with one of the very best and most unique guitar work ever outta there, yes, and all is surely very demanding and no easy-listening-affair but that were MORBID ANGEL never and Death Metal  in general should never be this. Surely not all songs are gold or even platinum and some few more fillers sort of songs are (surely sadly enough) to be found on "KINGDOMS DISDAINED" and the sort of the very 'muddy' and strangely powerless production sound comes close to being a farce but at the end of the day "KINGDOMS DISDAINED" is damn strong, fresh delivered extreme Death Metal from the get-go on. Guttural and very harsh grunted vokillz, an amazing rhythm section (and especially the drums shine phenomenal bright and wide above all), and all is massively marked and cultivated by the fantastic and brilliant, breath-taking and mindblowing guitar work, yes, it's all here; and all is mostly melted together by a very strong songwriting and the songs are marked by a very sinister and nihilstic, a through-and-through apocalyotic and very intense atmosphere that's very tight and that's nearly perfectly interwoven into the songs and the album, yes, and allow yourself to work yourself deep and deeper into MORBID ANGEL's "KINGDOMS DISDAINED" or respectively give it the good and fair chance to grow on you, yes, because this it will surely do. There's a mssive and highly energetic dynamic-work of/to the songs that's only waiting to be discovered by you, with massively high and surely very often 'hyper-blasting' high speed and high'n'fast pace of the songs, yes, and yet there are so incredible much varying passages and elements 'woven-into' the songs with a great and often more than great harmonies/disharmonies-work and still we find in all the 'at first sight' mostly up- to high- and blastspeed songs absolutely great changes of the rhythms and also the pace and especially one devastating assault armada of riffs on such a high skilled, massively and brutal, stunning and yet diverse level of arrangements and composition that for the very most parts MORBID ANGEL's "KINGDOMS DISDAINED" simply will leave your mouth wide open wondering what currently invades your head and your heart and your soul through your ears from out of your stereo-speakers, yes, and it only got or gets better all the time when you realize again and again how technically skilled and 'proggy' demanding the songs truly and really are and yet still they flow'n'float so perfectly gentle together that there are no songwriting holes or any blank holes in the songs, yes, the songs work on and on as songs and are no egotrippin' pseudo-'proggy' farce. Fresh and grapping song arrangements and a very to incredible forceful compositorial work that offers strong ideas, a very unique own identity, and sheer force are the key-elements to let "KINGDOMS DISDAINED" conquer you, hell yeahr, carried out by MORBID ANGEL via and through-out a phenomenal unique and highest skilled guitar work that totally will leave no bone unsmashed such stunningly heavy and massively brutal is it and yet it's so full of truly symphonic sinister, sick, apocalyptic, and just nihilistic leads and absoultely mind-opening solos, and also the guitars add a lot of the already somewhere above mentioned very intense atmosphere, yes, an evil buzzing and a lot of meat to the backbone of "KINGDOMS DISDAINED" adding heavy bass playing, incredible highest skilled drumming that totally stets the standards new in the department of technial and extreme musick, and not at least via and through-out the very charismatic very brutal vokillz that give the songs finally and really their dark shining crown. My personal favorites are the everything done smashing opening duo tracks "PILES OF LITTLE ARMS" and "D.E.A.D.", the sheer larger-than-life fantastic "GARDEN OF DISDAIN" that holds its very own ground with ist outstanding strong rhythm work and 'staccato-grooves' (in that particular way a totally unique MORBID ANGEL trademark) even in comparison with the still absolutely outstanding "DOMINATION" era of MORBID ANGEL, the totally evil and atomizing massive wall of sound that simply is "ARCHITECT AND ICONOCLAST", the overwhelming and  very technical and (in all positive meaning) demanding "THE PILLARS CRUMBLING" with its very 'proggy' rhythimc structures, the catchy and just sort of hymnal "FOR NO MASTERS" (definitely the über-hit here of and on MORBID ANGEL's "KINGDOMS DISDAINED", yes, definitely), the sinister grinning and unstoppabel forward to war marching "DECLARING NEW LAW (SECRET HELL)", and also the final track "THE FALL OF IDOLS" that is simply nothing but pure hate set to musick and this in an overwhelming way. If only the (in my book) sort of much too (especially for a band like MORBID ANGEL) lame and stale stereotypical Death Metal tune "PARADIGMS WARPED" (it offers of course some great guitar solo work and some nice very 'doomy' marks but is just a too mid paced stereotypical boring Death Metal roll-on-track with no real own identity) and the sort of incredible shocking uninspired and to me sort of a HATE ETERNAL ripp-off seeming'n'sounding "FROM THE HAND OF KINGS" with its too boring superficial blasting mostly 'all the time' wouldn't be, two really, really weak songs especially for a band like MORBID ANGEL, than my final rating would be even better/higher than it already is anyhow. The only 'just' solid mid placed song on MORBID ANGEL's "KINGDOMS DISDAINED" (so far) is "THE RIGHTEOUS VOICE" and beside this track we only get true killer tunes and two (in my book) absoultely and sort of shocking crappy songs that especially a band like MORBID ANGEL should be able to do far better even while half-a-sleep... but anyhow this one here is a damn strong, a very strong album for that other bands would sell their soul(s) to the almighty Gods of Rock & Roll to get it done in that way only once in a lifetime. Thoughtful and thought-provoking, very strong lyrics and a first class 'diabolical' artwork then round it all up. A truly damn good album by one of the still very, very best (Death Metal) bands outta there and I can only recommend it to you if you are into Death Metal or extreme musick in general, yes, and so go out and get, period.
(8,5 of 10 points)
www.morbidangel.com/ (- the link to the homepage of the band)

MORBID ANGEL - "FOR NO MASTERS" (2017, "KINGDOMS DISDAINED")

IMMOLATION - "ATONEMENT" (2017)

IMMOLATION - "ATONEMENT"
(Running time: 48:53 minutes; 12 songs)
("Nuclear Blast Records"; 2017; CD):

Hey guys, yes, it's me again and I'm back @ work right up here - you may could say: all for you - and so without any long introducing smalltalk we rather jump on straight into the action and here and now this or the action is all about the current new 2017 full length album release by/of no one else than the just pure and simply  larger than life grandmasters of Blasphemous Death Metal from the U.S.A. and I am talking about and I am praising and hailing no one else than the almighty IMMOLATION, the legends from New York City, and their newest full length album release that carries the title of "ATONEMENT" and it's their tenth studio full length album in their 31 years or so spanning career (1986 - 2017) and it was released at the 24th of February of this very year of 2017 via the german based "NUCLEAR BLAST RECORDS" label, yes, and here and now I finally get it done to do my review up here for you, yes, and so now here we go... and, just btw, IMMOLATION's "HERE IN AFTER" from 1996 (I guess) is still to and @ this very day one of my top ten all time favorite Death Metal albums ever; but now back to the topic, yes, IMMOLATION's 2017 "ATONEMENT", yes, and so now finally (again) here we go: "ATONEMENT" is one absolutely amazing and awesome, sheer unbelievable high skilled piece of satanic and blaspehmic, sinister and brutal Death Metal that's incredible intense and through and through interwoven with sheer palpable close very deep'n'dark atmosphere and overwhelming huge and massive and all the time very alive-lively emotions, yes, this album is on all levels nothing but the absolutely sheer and pure and full force and might set to musick, hell yeahr, and that this one here is also one of the very most brutal and also technically highest skilled releases (of 2017) I only state here for the record, yes. IMMOLATION's "ATONEMENT" then really comes to life thanks to the fantastic songwriting that's very, very massive and intense and yet very diverse and rich on variations and truckloads of surprising and so not expected moments and that above all is also so damn fuckin' atmospheric and full of a high emotional scale/'scaleing', yes, and that also offers a wide variety of grapping song arrangements and exciting as well as rousing and no prisoners taking rhythm and riff compositions, large pace variations from in sort of  'this all and everything in-between' annihilating blasts to crypt-like Doom parts and 'slammy' mosh monsters, a very lot of massively soul- and playful finishes/'cultivations' to each of the songs, and a very strong and sinister and evil glooming and yet bright shining 'play' with dissonances that anyhow flow smooth (as 'smooth' as Death Metal can be ;-) - if you get what I mean ............) all together, yes, and this so incredible rich songwriting is done and delivered in such a phenomenal highest skilled musical way that it will absolutely take and conquer you by storm and in a very, nah, in an absolutely and totally supreme way, style, and manner, yes, this is definitely absolutely pure platinum and this on all fronts, period. All is packed up to the extreme max full with diverse smashing and yet really sort of symphonic guitars that are delivering the very best of the goods no matter if we look at the briliant rhythmic work or the full force fantastic riffing on the one side or the outshining sinister and dark 'lead' work with its glorious play with disharmonies/harmonies, dissonances and melody lines on the other side, totally awesome, and above the fantastic solo work we don't even need to speak and that/this simply because there aren't not enough words of praise around to do it justice anyhow anyway so larger than life great it is, point and fact. Then there's the phenomenal overwhelming massive and powerful, tight and precise and absolutely to the point played and yet 'amazingly' diverse and varying rhythm section that also really nothing but shines and adds much class and quality beefy and bulky weight and mass to IMMOLATION's "ATONEMENT", yes, and that's above all absolutely superb. All is then made round and finally cultivated and enriched by the deep and harsh, brutal grunted guttural lead vokillz that shine in a bloody and sinister, deadly and devastating way. All in all IMMOLATION's "ATONEMENT" is not just an absolutely breathtaking and overwhelming larger than life masterpiece and it is also not just maybe perhaps the very, very most best album in the anyhow incredible strong and massively impressive discography of IMMOLATION but it is also clearly and far ahead of all the other/potential 'rivals' outta there (that in a lot cases also released strong to great and phenomenal good albums this very year) and so definitely the by far best and most strongest Death Metal album of 2017, definitely and without a single doubt. My personal highlights are clearly "WHEN THE JACKALS COME", "THE DISTORTING LIGHT", "RISE THE HERETICS", "THROWN TO THE FIRE", "ATONEMENT", "ABOVE ALL", "FOSTERING THE DIVIDE", and "POWER OF GODS", hell yeahr, but don't do the mistake and think the other and also anyhow anyway only few not named songs would be sort of 'weak(er) stuff' because hell no also this songs totally rule and destroy everything and everyone. We then also get blasphemous and bestial, sinister and dark lyrics, one of the most gorgeous artworks I've seen this year (and also in years), and a blasting and bombing production sound that's nothing than a deadly striking wall of sound, yes, turning IMMOLATION's "ATONEMENT" then 'finally-finally' into the real deal and making it to the complete package. If you are into real Death Metal and you really still should not know or have IMMOLATION's "ATONEMENT" then do yourself the huge, huge favour and change this and this best instantly right now because this masterpiece definitely needs to be a (prominent) part of and in your record collection, definitely and also without any doubt. So, in short: Get it!!!

(10 of 10 points)

http://www.everlastingfire.com/ (- the link to a very cool fanpage of the band)

https://www.facebook.com/immolation (- the link to the facebook site of the band)

IMMOLATION - "WHEN THE JACKALS COME" /live\ (2017, "ATONEMENT")

INCANTATION - "PROFANE NEXUS" (2017)

INCANTATION - "PROFANE NEXUS"
(Running time: 42:38 minutes; 11 songs)
("Relapse Records"; 2017; CD):

Another day, another post, another record, another record-review, so you could maybe say and so now here we go again: After yesterday the Chicago Death Metal legends BROKEN HOPE and their this year's masterpiece "MUTILATED AND ASSIMILATED" were reviewed up here by me for you I feel like sticking with/into the extreme musick stuff in general and with/into Death Metal in particular. If you know me you know that I fucking love Death Metal and especially the various sorts and kinds and flavours of U.S. Death Metal and beside many others the mighty INCANTATION had been, were, still are, and probably will always be favorites of me, myself, and I, yes, and so now here for you comes my review on their new 2017 album "PROFANE NEXUS" released via the still strong going "RELAPSE RECORDS" still pretty recently this very year. I love this grandmasters of Blasphemic Death Metal or Satanic Death Metal from the States since I first listened to their almighty classick "ONWARD TO GOLGOTHA" some day in middle-school back then in probably around 1994 on my old walkman on a self-recorded tape probably while riding (on) my skateboard to school or back from school and was totally blown away by this absolutely devastating and atomizing power, force, intensity, and just sheer sinister and evil energy, fuck yeah', and if we keep in mind that back then I was sort of 13 years young and today I'm 36 years old you maybe get a clou (of) what this style of musick in general and this very band in particular more or less always meant and still mean to me. That said not all INCANTATION albums were great but the very most of them were great or at least damn good stuff, so in my book. And now in 2017 "PROFANE NEXUS" is/was unleashed and INCANTATION really conquer and they conquer in a mighty and no prisoners taking way. Their very dark and harsh, sinister and very, very brutal and aggressive Death Metal enriched with bonesmashing and skullcracking (Funeral) Doom Metal impressions and cultivated with tons of great guitar riffs, fantastic guitar solos, and 'just' damn dark yet very bright shining symphonic guitar leads totally slashes any resistance away and sounds so damn fresh and alive/lively as well as offers a lot of cool little surprises, yes, this is 'just' nothing but absolutely first class Death Metal from this blasphemous roughnecks from Johnstown, Pennsylvania/USA and this on a very high level of skill and quality and with a strong own identity and character to it all. The songwriting is very fresh and pretty diverse yet first-and-foremost all the time incredible intense and 'woven-through' by a tight and 'just' pure evil and really sinister atmosphere and the outcome are dark, heavy, and very grapping masterpieces of songs of finest Death Metal that offer a great variety of pace-variations and sheer overwhelming intensity and cool twists-and-turns along the ride. The biggest shining trademarks are for sure the marching and hammering guitars, followed by the brutal and still incredible deep guttural vocals, all backed up by a massive and ass-tight, damn precise and everything down-tearing rhythm section. Or in short: Death Metal how it should be, Metal of Death, the real deal. Great lyrics, a fantastic artwork, and very deep-droning and heavy production sound finally enrich and cultivate it all in a great and even more impressive way. Yes, INCANTATION's "PROFANE NEXUS" is so far definitely one of my highlights this year and one of the strongest Death Metal Releases in 2017 so far, so in my book and so I can only recommend it to you, highly recommend it, so gout and get it if you missed out on it so far. This one just damn bloody rules. A blasphemous masterpiece we have here. All hail INCANTATION.

(9 of 10 points)

https://www.incantation.com/ (-the link to the homepage of the band, check it out)

INCANTATION - "ANCIENTS ARISE" (2017, "PROFANE NEXUS")