Acheron - The Final Conflict: Last Days of God

February 8, 2010

Reviewer: Matt

No surprises here: Acheron’s seventh album isn’t very good.  I admit to not having heard their entire discography; I’ve heard only the first two, and I was not pleased.  Based on those two early albums and this latest, I feel pretty confident in saying that Acheron deservedly never garnered the recognition of their Tampa peers.

The Final Conflict: Last Days of God is passable I guess, certainly more listenable than a deathcore album.  It’s just really boring and obvious.  Each song lasts at least two minutes longer than it should take any band of normal competence to convey such elementary ideas.  And all that extra time goes to silly spoken word passages, needlessly drawn-out dirges, and cute melodic soloing.  What riffs are enjoyable are attributable to Kreator, Obituary, and Deicide.  There’s nary a spark of originality, and it’s a logical conclusion that Acheron has only survived thus far on the coattails of the “Tampa Death Metal” label.

Mainman Vincent Crowley tries really hard to be evil, hooting and hollering about Satanism in AABB rhyme, in ABABCB song structures.  I’m sure the ex-Reverend is sincere and really enjoys performing, but with this album he’s certainly not contributing to his worldview being taken seriously.

Honestly this album isn’t worth even the time I dedicated to reviewing it.  Completely forgettable in all respects, The Final Conflict... is better left on the rack.  Maybe if you’re a newcomer to death metal you might find some interest in early Acheron releases; at least they have some atmosphere (as opposed to the ridiculously crisp production here) to help disguise how derivative the music is.  Twenty years of playing weak death metal is enough.  Time to retire.

Release Date: April 30th, 2009
Label: Displeased Records

TRACK LISTING

1.  Intro
2.  The Apocalypse
3.  Rise of Rebellion
4.  Blood Oath (Pactum Tacitum)
5.  I Am Heathen
6.  Godless (We Are Gods!)
7.  Salvation Through Hatred
8.  Power and Might
9.  Millennium's End
10.  A New Age
11.  Anno Armegeddon

Total playing time:  51:09

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