Anatomia USA: Morbid Angel VII

 

 

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G ATEWAYS TO ANNIHILATION

This is the album that makes the least impression, despite containing some of MA's best songs. Perhaps that's because it's a bit calmer and more predictable than others. There's none of the fury or aggression that Morbids previously possessed. However, it's the most labored album. While Trey used older tracks on many of his albums previously, here we have only newbies to listen to. The songs are also a bit longer than usual.

This doesn't mean there's no contemplation here. There is, in fact, quite a bit of it. There's certainly no shortage of philosophical lyrics on this album. One gets the impression that the band was trying to outdo themselves in terms of content and message. Unfortunately, the songs from this album are rarely played live.

The CD comes with a bonus mini-website about Morbid Angel. It's an interesting little feature that some people probably don't even know about, because they've never checked it on a computer.

After this album, Tucker left for few years and was replaced by the vocalist of Hate Eternal, which is why there were jokes for a while that the next album would be called "Half Eternal".

Kawazu – a very short intro featuring the sounds of frogs in the Florida swamps. Quite telling, isn't it?

Summoning Redemption  – a very powerful and epic track. A pretty good showcase for the album. The atmosphere is still reminiscent of the previous album, but there are also some changes in tone. It's a slightly more majestic track, inviting you on a further journey. There are also strange sounds throughout the entire track, straight from the intro, which are clearly audible halfway through and at the end, when everything fades out.

Ageless, Still I Am  – A somewhat transitional track in the sense that it has rather relaxing verses. The song is less aggressive and feels more laid-back. It's also relatively upbeat.

He Who Sleeps – a fully original track by Tucker. The tempo is even slower, with only occasional bursts of speed lending it power. The atmosphere of darkness is further enhanced by the truly Lovecraftian themes. Lazy guitars towards the end significantly accentuate the darkness created by the composition. It's also one of the shorter tracks on the album.

To the Victor the Spoils – Trey and Tucker's first collaborative track – immediately picks up the pace. The band was clearly afraid the album would lose its punch. The grinding riffs, so characteristic of death metal, make the track more reserved, and even a frantic solo doesn't change that fact.

At One with Nothing – the second McCartney-Lennon track. A slamming intro, followed by a mid-tempo rhythm. An invocation of ancient forces? Is this a sequel to "Nothing is Not"?

Opening of the Gates – a bit controversial, as Trey artificially sped up the drums, which slightly irritated Sandoval, who wanted to correct them himself. Similar to "To the Victor...", it features a more conservative playing. The song evolves somewhat towards an instrumental track.

Secured Limitations - features guest vocals from Trey. This creates a rather interesting effect, as Trey is more Black in his delivery. It's also the only lyric writte by Trey, and as usual it's more philosophical. A rather long solo, somewhat in the vein of "Formulas...". Like the album's opening track, this one also boasts a certain epicness and panache.

Awakening – aside from the intro, this is the only instrumental track on the album. Unfortunately, it's not a particularly ambitious ambient track and cools the atmosphere a little bit...

I – one of the shortest song titles in Metal? Mid-tempo, like most of the tracks on the album. Quite slashing guitars and a standard Death Metal riff enhanced with melody. The solos increasingly try to sound like they're from outer space. The last Trey-Tucker track together.

God of the Forsaken – the album's closing track, just as "God of Emptiness" once closed "Covenant." The track has a distinctive intro and main motif, but is somewhat disjointed. Rutan's hand is palpable, as he wrote this track and enjoys this type of riffing. The album's finale lacked something special, but we still got a decent dose of Death Metal during a time when the genre was practically ignored by the masses.

Freshness: All the tracks are definitely new, and you can tell Trey put a lot of work into this one. One track by Rutan, one by Tucker, and three tracks created as a collaboration between Tucker and Azaghtoth. I rate the freshness as 100%