Ive been listening to music for a very long time and to Morbid Angel for about two decades. Granted, they have had lineup changes and long gaps between recent albums including the new opus Illud Divinum Insanus. Im also a very diverse kind of listener, meaning i like many genre's both in the rock/metal family and outside the realm of rock and metal. So its not like i went into hearing this record without an objective mind.And although Morbid Angel isnt in my top 5 metal bands of alltime i had a lot of respect and admiration for the band both in their musical production and status as metal icons.
So, its with a heavy heart that i write this review knowing that i generally NEVER take the time to write negative reviews. Why you ask? Because i can appreciate any band or artist that takes the time to create something musically no matter what genre. Sure, there is some very bad crap out there but at least they had the inclination to create it no matter what it is. But, there are pros and cons to putting yourself out there and your either going to be good or bad at it. The same thing applies when you are going to change your musical style. While MA isnt the only band to try their hand at doing something "different" it would seem that they are now the leaders in what most would call doing it the wrong way. In fact, completely wrong.
Its a tricky thing when a band wants to experiment or dabble into something different to try and "progress" as they move along in their careers. And its not a shock that in 8 years time following Heretic that MA would also try their hand at something a little different. However, there is a fine line between dabbling or experimenting and then there is going off the deep end entirely. Such is the case with Morbid Angel and let me tell you it aint very pretty. The fault here can go to just about anyone in this group. Some will lay it totally at vocalist David Vincent who had returned to the band after over a decade from playing with his wife's group The Genitorturers which is ironically a industrial styled band itself. But on the other hand it could just as easily be layed at founder Trey Azagthoth's feet as well for allowing the style change.
Just as troubling as the record itself is part of the fanbase that has tried to defend such a move. They try to claim that MA is creating something different but the reality is it isnt different. The supposed "boldness" that Morbid Angel has tried to create has already been done and done better. But it either falls down to the fact these particular fans dont know anything outside of a select group of bands or they are in complete fanboy denial about it. One reviewer i saw deemed the group Morbid Angel and the Spooky Kids. That sounds about right as not only is the music completely generic but the lyrics seemed to be written by 12 year olds. Oh yea, there is a bit of death metal on this record no doubt about it. But its so far and in between and completely overrun by the industrial asthetics that it just becomes mindnumbingly boring. In some ways its completely amazing and baffling that the band felt the need to change this much at all considering the resurrection of death metal the past decade.
One of my biggest gripes when it comes bands who feel that they no longer want to do a particular style is there determination to destroy the foundation that they laid out with that particular band. We saw it with Metallica, we saw it with Paradise Lost, and now we see it with Morbid Angel. Again, im a very diverse listener and i like many different styles and bands so i can appreciate a musician who feels that his or her ideas have become stagnant and they no longer find joy in playing a particular style of music. However, the smart musicians know how to channel that energy and use different projects to explore and express those ideas. There is no need to destroy the legacy of that band by trying to force the style change. Sure, Metallica still managed to garner new listeners with their style change but it came at a price while losing those who were there at the beginning when they were struggling artists and the loss of their musical integrity with that band.
Deep down i had initially hoped that the leaked album was just a ploy to throw the downloaders off. To try and dupe those into thinking that it was really this bad and to get the media attention until the real record came out. But alas, it was indeed the real deal and not even the poor attempt by the media to get some of guy's fellow friends from other bands to give positive notes on the record was not going to sway the metal faithful. While i could sit here and break down how bad every track is on this record i will refuse to do so. It would be giving it far too much credit and the youtube vid of Hitler going apeshit over it explains my stance pretty well. The bottom line is, if i want to hear Rob Zombie or Static-X i will listen to those bands because i know what they are about. But when i think of Morbid Angel i think of pure unadulterated, unrelentless death metal. Sadly, this review isnt just about Illud Divinum Insanus and how bad it is. Its about bands giving up their integrity and not giving a shit anymore about what their fans want and expect.
Sure, its they who create the music but what good is it if your just creating it for yourself? Why even bother putting it on disc if it only matters to you? While some bands may never truly progress over the course of two decades like Overkill i can still appreciate and respect what they are doing. They know who they are and they do it well and they know their fans expect it so they do it anyway while still enjoying it. Thats the difference between a band that gives a shit not only about its fans but about the integrity of their music with said band. The fanbase isnt mad that Morbid Angel wanted to try something different. They are angry about the outlet they chose to do it with and the piss poor execution of it. Morbid Angel as musicians are better than this, and the fans deserve better than this.
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