Morbid Angel – Illud Divinum Insanus – Album Review
| Website: | www.morbidangel.com |
| Fans Of: | Death, Suffocation, Deicide, Immolation |
| Label: | Season Of Mist |
| Download This: | 4 Blades For Baal, 10 More Dead |
| Genre(s): | Death Metal |
| Release Date: | 06/06/11 |
One of the hardest things to do is put yourself into another’s situation. Sometimes you can’t help thinking what was behind a certain action or song or takedown in the box (though I love a penalty kick regardless). When listening to Morbid Angel’s latest Illud Divinum Insanus one can’t help but ponder what inspired these 11 tracks, which vary from classic raging death metal to industrial/synth/rock.
Being a pioneer in any field comes with a burden, especially in the often rigid world of metal. Morbid Angel helped define the death metal genre, with essential albums like Altars of Madness and Covenant. On Illud Divinum Insanus, it’s obvious a conscious decision was made to change up the format and like any experiment, some parts work and others…still need testing.
After an extended intro akin to Thor entering Asgard, the first track immediately sends notice that Too Extreme! is not going to be about crushing metal extremes. Its got a techno-vibe that requires an almost immediate repeat listen…since its hard to believe its on a Morbid Angel album. One wonders if this was placed up front to send notice that their sound is expanding – because there are some ripping tracks that might have been better in this all-important leadoff spot.
I mention this because if you’re looking for Trey Azagthoth’s trademark sound, you won’t find anything close until track 4 ‘Blades for Baal’; a song where the band is firing on all its death metal cylinders. Another blistering song is ’10 More Dead’. While these seem to stand out even brighter and louder against the other sample-laced offerings, they might be secondary tracks on previous records.
Of all the performances on the album, David Vincent stands out. His vocals, albeit sometimes sounding enhanced, are still sung with conviction…even when singing in Latin on Mea-Culpa.
This is the type of album that will be incredibly scrutinized, given Morbid Angel’s stellar past. Are there enjoyable parts for long time fans? Yes. But it seems to incorporate so many elements absent in past releases; in a way, it sounds like a completely new band…which is puzzling given the return of Vincent.
If Illud Divinum Insanus is truly an experiment, then I‘m curious to hear the next album; since after two spins I am still at a loss to understand the current direction. Its one of the strangest listens of the year, and one I will probably stop trying to understand and move on.
I am at least confident of one thing that will be on next album; a title starting with the letter J, since Morbid Angel uses the alphabet for inspiration. What the music will sound like, I have no idea.
Tracklisting
1. Omni Potens
2. Too Extreme!
3. Existo Vulgoré
4. Blades for Baal
5. I Am Morbid
6. 10 More Dead
7. Destructos VS the Earth / Attack
8. Nevermore
9. Beauty Meets Beast
10. Radikult
11. Profundis – Mea Culpa
It may be one of those albums that you listen to in years to come and understand what they were doing – maybe a leap across a chasm that hasnt found the other side yet..
It may also have something to do with the fact that Pete Sandoval was having back surgery – perhaps he was away for a long time during the songwriting process, so Trey and David worked on songs incorporating drum machines, spawning the unusual blend of style.
Its not unusual though – hatework was one of those tracks that seemed out of place on Domination, yet it remains one of my favourite tracks to this day. Some of the church organ pieces on Blessed are the Sick annoyed me at the time, but I soon grew accustomed to their presence on the album, and ultimately those parts became a standard part of the album in my mind….without them, blessed are the sick wouldnt be what it was. And I think this album may be the same…. I too was looking forward to an album more like Gateways, as Heretic also seemed a bit “out there”, but I think that the lads know what they are doing. They dont write these songs for the masses, they write them from the heart. They are freeminded artists, whereas many of us are stuck in the rut of musical one-mindedness. They dont need to make another Blessed, or another Gateways… hundreds of bands have done that already. Morbid Angel are pioneers, and its refreshing to hear new ideas, even if they are not what we expect. Originality in the music world is a rare gift these days.
Thanks for interest. Good insights. I struggled and still do as to where the inspiration came from. The long hiatus maybe upped expectations. After several listens, still didn’t grab me. Who knows, the shift may well prove prophetic. That’s beauty of music. What was your initial impression?