Thursday 21 December 2017

Morbid Angel's 'Kingdoms Disdained' - Album Review

While I am a big fan of heavy metal, and have amassed a great deal of knowledge of the genre over the years, I will be the first to admit that my exposure to the extreme metal subgenres has been very limited. Despite liking lots of pretty heavy bands, a key factor in my enjoyment of any music is melody. Whether this comes from vocals, guitars, or keyboards is irrelevant, but soaring hooks and melodies are what draw me to certain bands and songs over others. That being said, over the years I have often tried - often in vain - to acquaint myself more with extreme metal. While I quite like the energy and atmosphere that black and death metal bands often conjure with their music, it is the often-lack of any true melodies or the extremely raw production that almost always ends up putting me off. When extreme metal acts become too polished with big production values, they often cease being true representations of the genre. Big productions often bring choirs or orchestras along with them, and the result it something more melodic than most of the purists can take. There have been a few 'truer' extreme metal acts over the years that I have managed to enjoy however. England's Carcass, despite being one of the founders of the 'melodic death metal' sound, are a true death metal act that just happen to utilise a lot more lead guitar passages than their peers; and Poland's Behemoth are a black metal band that are epic in scope and unforgiving with their music. These bands, plus a handful of others, have always excited me. My quest to add more extreme metal acts to my iPod brought me to America's Morbid Angel earlier this month, when I took a chance and picked up their new album Kingdoms Disdained after reading some good reviews of it online. Morbid Angel, formed back in 1983 by guitarist Trey Azagthoth, are true legends of the death metal world and are of course a band I have been familiar with for some time. The very positive reviews that I read, plus a couple of samples of the songs online, prompted me to pick this up and I am glad that I did as this is probably the first 'true' death metal album (excluding Carcass' more melodic offerings) that I have ever found myself enjoying. Kingdoms Disdained is the band's tenth studio album, and their first for six years following 2011's poorly-received Illud Divinum Insanus. I have no opinion on that album as I have never heard it, but by many accounts it seems to be one of the most-hated albums by any big-name death metal acts and that Kingdoms Disdained is a return to Morbid Angel's core sound and, as a result, form. Azagthoth is the only remaining original member left in Morbid Angel, and joining him on this album are vocalist and bassist Steve Tucker, who rejoined the band in 2015 once again replacing the outgoing David Vincent, and new drummer Scott Fuller (Abysmal Dawn; Annihilated). The former is performing on his first Morbid Angel since 2003's Heretic, and the latter is making his debut in the studio with the band. The production here, courtesy of Erik Rutan, is loud and full. The sound here is heavy and thick, without any of the tinny drums or buzzsaw guitars that make some extreme metal releases unlistenable to me.

The album's opening number, Piles of Little Arms, sets the tone for the entire album with a rolling blast beat-driven intro that is led by Azagthoth's abrasive guitar riff. While many portions of this song are fast, with Fuller's drumming really driving everything forward with much haste, there are moments that slow things down somewhat and introduce groovier elements. Tucker, performing on his first Morbid Angel album for quite some time, sounds excellent and really full of energy throughout. His deep growls are full of venom, and his performance on this song, atop the discordant riffing, really stands out. Guitar solos are not exactly forthcoming here, but the song ends with some wah-drenched guitar leads that lead nicely into D.E.A.D, the album's second song. D.E.A.D really takes things a step further with a progressive take on the standard death metal formula that mixes Behemoth-esque passages that use strident guitar chords and simpler drum beats, with twisted fast sections that really show off Fuller's skills as a drummer. His energy certainly adds to the overall feel of this album, and he should be commended on a strong performance throughout. There are lots of memorable riffs throughout this song and, while it is fairly short at just over three minutes in length, it stands out for it's originality and technicality. Garden of Disdain returns to the band's more typical formula with Fuller's fast footwork driving everything and a mid-paced verse that is packed full of venom with Tucker's bass guitar high in the mix to give the song depth. The bass is often lost in extreme metal albums, but thankfully that is often not the case here. Tucker's playing is often highlighted, which helps to really bulk out the songs and give the album a much heavier overall feel while still sounding well-produced. This is a song which never really reaches break-neck speed, but instead often relies on a more chugging feel despite some fast double bass drumming. The combination works well, and the song is a powerful one as a result. The Righteous Voice opens up with an unsettling guitar riff that always seems at odds with the more conventional drumming beneath it. This conflict works well however, and helps to create a unique atmosphere for the song. Azagthoth's use of pinch harmonics throughout also helps the song to stand out, and adds to the discordant nature of the piece. The verses are much more typical however, with Fuller's blast beats driving everything as Tucker bellows the lyrics. There's another strange guitar solo in this piece, and this one comes out of nowhere with some tortured leads that cut through the mix with an eerie feel. Architect and Iconoclast is one of my favourite pieces on the album, and this is partly down to the grooves that are packed into it. This is not a song that never really picks up the pace to a great extent, but instead makes use of the strong riffs and drum patterns to create interesting images that ooze out of the speakers. Fuller really shows off his skills again here with some excellent drumming displays that are packed full of inventive twists and turns. This is a track that shows that there is a lot in death metal that I can enjoy, and one that will ensure I continue to explore the genre. Paradigms Warped also opens fairly slowly, with some excellent guitar-led grooves that highlight the power of Azagthoth's playing. With many death metal acts utilising quite simple guitar lines, Azagthoth often goes beyond this to create much more involved soundscapes with his instrument. He has a progressive approach to songwriting, and that is showcased here with some choppy riffs and sections that allow Tucker's bass to take the lead for contrast.

The Pillars Crumbling is much more riff-driven, with an opening figure that contains some true classic rock strut before the drums come in properly to bring true death metal elements to the track. This is a song that is much less 'busy' than many of the other pieces here, with Azagthoth's guitar playing simpler riffs and leaving most of the more abrasive soundscapes behind. As a result the song stands out and actually becomes somewhat catchy in places, with the riffs really getting stuck in your brain. For No Master puts the speed back into the album, and is packed full of blast beats throughout. This is a real death metal anthem that showcases all of the hallmarks of the genre that Morbid Angel really helped to forge back in the 1980s. It really is a relentless piece of music. Many of the band's songs slow down in parts for some light and shade, this one really carries on the energy throughout and takes no prisoners with the lightning-fast riffing and drumming. Declaring New Law (Secret Hell) is another more groove-based piece with Tucker's bass taking on a prominent role throughout to add real depth and grit. It also features a guitar solo from Vadim, who has since joined the band as a second guitarist. The solo is his only contribution to the album, as Azagthoth handled the rest of the guitar work throughout the album, but he makes an impact with this twisted creation. As mentioned, the song is one of the albums slower offerings with a mechanical grinding sound throughout that is caused by Tucker's precise bass playing. Vadim's solo is the opposite of this, and comes out of nowhere with more melodic phrasing than would normally be expected on a death metal album. It sounds good, if a little out of place, and this helps to the song to stand out somewhat. From the Hand of Kings is more of the band's trademark death metal sound, but one that also showcases the band's progressive side a little too. The riffing throughout is excellent and mixes fast and slower sections with ease. Out of all of the songs on the album, this is one of the most powerful pieces as everything here is just really heavy. It is songs like this where Rutan's production job really shines, as it really boosts the sounds made from the rhythm section to give the song that big bottom end. All too often these instruments sound tinny on death metal albums, but that is not the case here as everything sounds tight and heavy. The album's closing number, The Fall of Idols, is another premium slab of death metal that again showcases all of the hallmarks of the genre. It is probably one of the least-interesting pieces here however, as it lacks the standout riffs or drumming of many of the preceding songs. This may be down to my own lack of knowledge of the genre, but for whatever reason this song just does not stand out as a much as the others. It still has a great driving energy however, which helps the album to end strongly despite the lack of standout features. Overall, Kingdoms Disdained is a really enjoyable album from Morbid Angel and one that has helped me further my quest to understand and appreciate extreme metal a lot more than I currently do. I shall certainly go back and explore some of the band's older works now.

The album was released on 1st December 2017 via Silver Lining Music. Below is the band's promotional soundclip for For No Master.


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