Review by Aditya Mehta
My fellow purists will be squirming when they hear what the gods have created this time around. Morbid Angel returns in a very different form that is in places a stark contrast to the aesthetic they helped create… that of dark, heavy, blasphemous music. Wait – it’s still dark, heavy and blasphemous – but this time it’s mixed with industrial elements and often amateurish lyrics.
Unlike the sinister vibe their music can create, the style the band opts for on Illud Divinum Insanus is easy on the ears. Morbid Angel will shock every fan with their use of thumping beats, and this is where I start jumping up and down. Although I’m a purist, it excites me when a band with great clout disregards its fans (even if I’m one of them) and rushes freely in all the directions that call out to it, because it may a sign of their evolution and not necessarily a move to sell more copies or widen the fanbase.
David Vincent is back and in top form, singing lyrics that angry teenage rebels will relate to, his voice venomous as ever. Trey Azagthoth throws in the occasional solo amidst the twisted riffs, and displays yet again that he’s not just still relevant but also inimitable. The second guitarist – sorry, I can’t hear how he has contributed to this album, unless he’s responsible for the industrial elements or the silly lyrics. Tim Yeung drums like it’s a Morbid Angel album, so that’s taken care of.
The album has 3-4 songs that are in the classic Morbid Angel vein, but it is by and large boldly experimental – it may not be a successful attempt, but it is a brave one. Unlike the unexciting Heretic in which it was a struggle to find likable parts, Morbid Angel’s ‘I’ album is very interesting even if it’s only because it’s just them playing industrial arena death rock with their evil sound.
Surely the negative reviews have told you that Illud Divinum Insanus won’t knock your socks off, but what they didn’t (and won’t be able to) tell you is this is Morbid Angel kicking its shoes off. I think there’s a reason they have ‘anus’ in the album title; maybe it’s their way of saying they don’t give a rat’s ass about what you think.
RATING: 3.5/5
Review originally published on Aditya Mehta’s Blog