Gateways to AnnihilationMorbid Angel |
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From beneath the black they have returned… The ageless, faceless wonder that hovers down from the dark… and the brutality and strength of will, unleashed upon all that's holy… "Gateways to Annihilation" marks the latest chapter of this black bible revisited… Morbid Angel, spawned and set upon God's creation more than ten years before, and never has the message been so clear! Having already achieved legendary status amongst legions of Death Metal fans worldwide, "Gateways…" follows '98s monstrous "Formulas Fatal to the Flesh" and for those still recovering, no amount of time away could prepare you for this massacre… Slowly twisting, spiraling downward-a Hell-blessed sepulcher, form-fitted and hungrily waiting to swallow up its next victim… "Summoning Redemption," "Ageless Still I am," "At One With Nothing…" hallowed examples of a life's worth of sorrow and pain; at one with defiance, and a tragically told tale inspired by the other side… Several years ago Morbid Angel had the vision-to inflict pain, punishment and reveal the sins of Thy father in as much as to clash with our perceived overseers… to block out the light so that the nature of true evil would be revealed-and sadly, to those still not ready to accept it, nothing's changed! In fact they've grown worse with age! And the sound has never been better or more ravenous- Pete Sandoval behind the kit's gone absolutely berserk on this one-half man, half machine, for no mere mortal could keep such a grueling pace for as long as this! Each and every cut begins and ends with the same tragic pattern-a knife edge, drawing blood with each and every note play… imagine Black Metal without the orchestral arrangements allowing even the slightest hint of melody to peek through… and now there's none. Nothing to offer hope… nothing to dispel fear… eternal damnation surrounded by traditionally dead elements, destructive at its source while uniquely classical in nature! The "Gods of the Forsaken" have spoken-their language of menace expounded for all who've followed the left hand path… and the "Gateway…" a foreboding presence where the infamous angel of decay beckons its followers… and The "annihilative" principle has never been stronger than now, a decade later, where angels still fear to tread and the greatest gift lies just beyond the doors of the dark… Released by Earache
Records Limited. Review by Vinnie Apicella [va85@columbia.edu] |
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Alters of Madness Morbid Angel |
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Can you imagine just returning from a trip through the stars to arrive home to this? In the blink of an eye, to move from spiritual enlightenment to spiritual deletion! And soon after we're one with the darkness… "Immortal Rites" are read and slowly our lifeblood drains as haunting voices fill the room and the possession is near complete… And nobody draws out and glorifies a possessive entity effectively casting shadows of darkness upon all who fall under their evil influence… ruined for life, you're only too happy to offer your soul to those who pray in the night, your madness is there satisfaction, their completeness relies only upon your acceptance… and Morbid Angel leaves no magic dust, no selfless beauty or mystical enchantment but only damnation and death delivered by these malevolent messengers of the underground. Yes they've long since earned their wings, only theirs is of an altogether different variety than those heavenward nightingales we've come to know from our childhood daydreams. "Alters of Madness" sounds every bit as old as it is but its' sheer destructive properties were as wholly extreme as any of their rivals at that, or at any time before. Where the likes of Slayer, Venom and those still lesser known quantities who would go on to ignite many an alter in their own bleak existence, Morbid Angel's blackened realm was quickly beginning to take shape… The chapel in the moonlight could never have been prepared for the ensuing carnage brought about by the likes of "Visions of the Darkside," "Lord of All Fevers and Plagues," and "Chapel of Ghouls…" Now hard to believe over a decade ago, "Alters of Madness" meant nothing less than total obliteration of a once mighty church and state and let all the Hell loose upon a mass of lifeless human existence ready for an impending scarification the likes of which were not to be seen again until the impending arrival of the almighty Deicide. Released by Earache Records Limited. Review by Vinnie Apicella [va85@columbia.edu] |