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Atrocity: Okkult

31/05/13 || Ironpants

Love!! That primordial feeling that occasionally takes over even the most cultish metal dude. Some bands have even stopped to exist due to this feeble weakness of mankind. I know several careers that has changed or stopped, just because of the color of pink, amore, red hearts and weekend trips to Paris. Later they transform to family dinners with her folks, you cutting your hair, selling your music gear so you can afford to buy baby clothes, cribs, strollers and shit. Suddenly you sit there, slightly obese, a receding hairline and listening to old Swedeath records. Now and then you gather some old friends and under the influence of alcohol you reform one of the bands you were in. That never really happens for real, so you just sit there in apathy, just dying inside…

In some cases, it just takes a slight turn, like Atrocity. Evil voices speak of Atrocity’s different twists and turns through history as a product of band general Krull’s marriage with Liv Kristine, and that’s why the band have been flying around in different genres through the years. Starting out with grindcore (as Instigore), then technical death metal, then moving in and out through goth-metal/nu-metal and band members having affairs in sub-band Leaves’ Eyes where Liv Kristine also is singing together with the same members that are in Atrocity. I have no idea if this is true or not, and actually I couldn’t care less really. If someone wants to play goth metal, fine, I will not contribute to your record sales though.

If you remember when Atrocity was OK, back in the beginning of the ´90s, you also know that they played some half-decent death metal. I can’t say that they made my days worth living, but at least they were on the right side of the of the border. So I wasn’t that overexcited when I listened to “Okkult” the first time. Damn you prejudice, I will never listen to you again, you’ve been wrong so many times that you could be a fucken weather forecaster. There is some mighty stuff going on on this album, this time they have done a complete U-turn in Faggotville, burned some rubber and then street-raced back to Death Town for some mighty symphonic music.

The first track “Pandæmonium” builds up from one of the heaviest and coolest intros I’ve heard for a while, and there is an explanation for that. Atrocity have turned to Katie Halliday, sound-designer for a couple of “Saw” movies and “The Devil’s Carnival” and the orchestral parts on the album is performed by “The Lingua Mortis Orchestra” led by Victor Smolski from “Rage”. All the extras are perfectly placed and enhancing the overall impression of this symphonic piece of work. “Pandæmonium” is a killer track and I’ve listened to it numerous times since I started to write this review. It’s awesome! And as you have probably guessed already, it is sadly not a fact that remains for the album in total.

The following track “Death by metal” is an example of Atrocity’s “problem”, they could not hold on to the momentum that the first track builds up. The second song turns into some half-cheesy metal hymn á la Manowar or actually Dethklok to be precise. And all you alert GD followers may remember that I actually like Dethklok? So what’s the problem here then? Well, Dethklok are allowed to be cheesy, ‘cause they produce music for a cartoon, and also, Manowar are allowed to be cheesy just because the are the rulers of…cheese. The track also ooze of the same substance that made Morbid Angel to write the track “I am morbid” – a track that can be used live as a band signature. It’s not OK dudes, not on an album proclaimed as “a kickstart to an album trilogy as it has not been seen in the metal scene!”, well big words, but maybe also true? So we can forgive them for that track and carry on.

The album in total contain some really good tunes, both symphonic and grandiose, but also somewhat catchy. I guess the years composing goth-metal and folk-metal pays off in this department? There are several tracks that stand out as near master pieces, and the band is really tight and perform all parts as true professionals. I am actually a bit impressed by some of the stuff. I mean, when looking at their back catalog, and then listening to this, imagine all the potential good albums they have robbed us from through the years.

Krull’s voice is in a way a perfect growl, really low and “wet”, still you hear every word perfectly and there is no problem in following the story that he brings forth in all the songs. Well, “Satan’s braut” is performed in German, so if you are not fluent in that cool language you are left out in the cold on that one. The rest of the guys play perfect, and all the segments that are “orchestral” is a real delight to listen to. The only thing that I don’t really like is the sound of the guitars, they have gone for the “hollow” distortion, which sounds as it is recorded inside a box, or as you are listening through a pipe. Well, you can never be really satisfied, can you?

Summarizing this album isn’t that hard, it could be the “comeback” to the dark side that Atrocity need to break free from their weird goth/folk stamp. When they are good, they are really good, the only songs that can be considered lows are earlier mentioned “Death by metal” and “When empires fall to dust” that also brings some old goth feeling to it. The album is a perfect blend of symphonic death metal and traditional heavy metal arrangements and if you are into grandiose metal with choirs, symphonic elements and a little story-telling this is worth listening to.

Information
Released: 2013
Label: Napalm Records
Website: www.atrocity.de
Band
Alexander Krull: vocals, keyboards
Thorsten Bauer: guitars, bass
Sander van der Meer: guitars
Joris Nijenhuis: drums
Guest
Liv Kristine: vocals

Tracklist
01. Pandæmonium
02. Death by metal
03. March of the undying
04. Haunted by demons
05. Murder blood assassination
06. Necromancy divine
07. Satan’s braut
08. Todesstimmen
09. Masaya (Boca del infierno)
10. When empires fall to dust
11. Beyond perpetual ice
12. La Voisine

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