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Hypocrisy: Hypocrisy
19/08/11 || Smalley
The second half of the 90’s was a hell of a good time to be a Hypocrisy fan; after a few clunky releases early on (though I do enjoy “Penetralia”, so not to fret, Daemo), they made a brilliant transition towards a more melodic death metal sound on 1996’s “Abducted” (though it still had more balls then In Flames or Dark Tranquility or what have you), and then the epic, climatic “The final chapter” in ’97 was even better, and the band’s masterpiece, far as I’m concerned. However, “the final chapter” actually was going to be their final chapter, as I guess they must’ve been satisfied with what they had already collectively accomplished (buncha lazy bums). They were only broken up for a short time though, as a massive amount of fan-whining made them get back together, in what is possibly the only proven case of a metal band actually listening to what their listeners want.
Thus, this self-titled album was born as their comeback effort, and while it isn’t great like the previous two records were, it’s still very good in its own way, and showcases a band willing to evolve without dipping into sell-out turf. Opener “Fractured millennium” starts up with nothing but Tägtgren’s ghostly, ethereal synth playing, surprising, considering that he had previously only used it as a supporting instrument, and never a main draw, but it’s a welcome surprise nonetheless.
At any rate, a good ol’ extended shriek from Tägtgren and a Hypocrisy-signature guitar melody then assures us that the band hasn’t pulled an Ulver-esque 180 on us, though the basic style is still different from their previous few records; the production is cleaner (though not unbearably so), the riffing’s less harsh, the growling is less guttural and there’s more emphasis on clean vocals, and the songwriting in general is less aggressive. And, although I still like it, “millennium” can’t quite live up to its uber-epic intro, and serves as a mildly disappointing preview of the album to come; while “Abducted” and “chapter” had more death to their sounds than melo, “Hypocrisy” places its emphasis on more atmosphere and melody, and while that approach does make this album unique, it still loses some potential bite for it.
But “millennium” is hardly the best cut here, as tracks like “Fusion programmed minds”, “Reversed reflections”, and the methodical, tortured “Elastic inverted visions” showcase some absolutely irresistible melodies, melodies that could almost be described as sing-song-y (in a good way), melodies that demonstrate the potential of Hypocrisy’s new style at 100% capacity. I also dig the almost-ballads “Disconnected magnetic corridors” and “Paled empty sphere” (these stupid-ass titles are killing me!), with their effective use of clean guitar lines and soaring, choral-like singing. Not to imply that everything else here is as good as those standouts; “Apocalyptic hybrid” is a misguided attempt at a fast, more aggressive track, and some of the other tracks are merely “solid”, and won’t really stick out in your memory.
But all of that aside, and the fact that “Hypocrisy” is officially a melo death album, with a a different style of the band on display, it still isn’t some generic Gothenburg rip-off or anything; it has its own unique flavor and atmosphere that I really can’t find anything else like anywhere else. Despite its flaws, “Hypocrisy” is still a good effort, again, not quite on the same level as “Abducted” or “The final chapter”, but you still have to admire them for growing as a band, and for making that actually work (for the most part) at the same time. So yeah, this one’s fucking worth a listen or two, so feel free to thank me later for letting you know and all that jazz.
- Information
- Released: 1999
- Label: Nuclear Blast
- Website: www.hypocrisy.tv
- Band
- Peter Tägtgren: vocals, guitars, keyboards
- Mikael Hedlund: bass
- Lars Szöke: drums
- Tracklist
- 01. Fractured Millennium
- 02. Apocalyptic Hybrid
- 03. Fusion Programmed Minds
- 04. Elastic Inverted Visions
- 05. Reversed Reflections
- 06. Until the End
- 07. Paranormal Mysteria
- 08. Time Warp
- 09. Disconnected Magnetic Corridors
- 10. Paled Empty Sphere
- 11. Selfinflicted Overload
