March 31, 2010

Reviewer: Roswell47

There are always bands that have a bad reputation with "true" metalheads, although honestly, most of the time that reputation is well deserved.  Most "true" death metal fans would not be caught dead listening to bands like Waking the Cadaver or Suicide Silence.  In the past, the UK band Annotations of an Autopsy has fallen into that category as well.  The band's first EP, Welcome to Sludge City (2007), was pretty much unlistenable to my death metal ears.  It was way too deathcore for my tastes with its pig squeals, breakdowns, and gang vocals.  When the Before the Throne of Infection full-length followed in 2008, it was definitely an improvement, but still not far enough removed from the EP.  Now, AOAA is back with its new release II: The Reign of Darkness, and it seems that they are making an effort to change their style and maybe even gain some respect.  But have they succeeded in this effort? 

The first thing that caught my attention about II: The Reign of Darkness was the album cover.  The Par Olofsson artwork was amazing.  As "judging a book by its cover" as it sounds, I have to admit that it made me want to hear the album since I identify Olofsson's work with so many of my favorite recent death metal albums.  Even the AOAA logo was different.  Were these guys trying to present themselves as a "real" death metal band now?  Would this be a new album to add to that list of Olofsson emblazoned favorites? Like their previous releases, I decided to give it a fair chance and see.

II: The Reign of Darkness is a great leap forward from AOAA's earlier efforts.  Most of the deathcore trappings, including breakdowns, have been greatly reduced, even if they haven't been completely eliminated.  The guitars have improved noticeably since past releases. They have a much better, clearer tone and are most impressive when they occasionally channel the spirit of Morbid Angel.  The guitars are mainly rhythm driven however.  You won't find any blistering leads here.  The bass guitar is mostly unnoticeable, but it serves its purpose of holding down the bottom end.  Like the guitars, the drums have also improved drastically. There are many tasteful drum fills and accents throughout the album.  Although the vocals have improved as well, they are definitely one of the weakest parts of the album.  Steve Regan tries to mix things up with several different vocal styles.  He employs a new growl which at times is decent enough, but at other times, it just seems muffled and mumbled.  He also tries his hand at whispers, spoken parts, and even the occasional black metal rasp.  In most instances, the whispers and spoken parts just sound awkward and forced.  However, the black metal vocals fit very well with the death metal vocals and add some welcome variety.  The lyrics are a major improvement over their past albums, but at times they can still be grating, especially the lyrics to "Born Dead" or in "Bone Crown" when the line "I am hell" is shouted over and over again gang vocal style.

Overall, the songs on II: The Reign of Darkness range from barely tolerable ("Born Dead" and "Bone Crown") to pretty impressive.  "In Snakes I Bathe" is one of the stronger songs.  It opens the album nicely with some catchy riffs and tempo changes that at times bring Morbid Angel to mind.  "Impale the Sun" also impresses with the use of some Morbid Angel style riffs.  "Portrait of Souls" utilizes catchy rhythms and a combination of contrasting death metal and black metal vocals.  "Impale the Sun" and "Portrait of Souls" are probably the highlights of the album and show what AOAA is capable of producing. Having said that, the songs on II: The Reign of Darkness approach solid, full-on death metal, but they never quite make it completely.  If AOAA would have trimmed the weaker parts from the good songs and eliminated the weakest songs altogether, they would have had a really strong EP.

Has AOAA released an undeniably good album that will silence their detractors and maybe even win some of them over as new fans?  Unfortunately, no.  They are however much closer to doing so than they have ever been.  While I applaud them for their improvements on this album, it's just not enough.  Maybe their next album will be the one where it all finally comes together for them.  With the piles and piles of good, solid death metal out there, it's hard to justify spending your time listening to II: The Reign of Darkness.  This album is best suited for the Suicide Silence fan who is looking to get into something more "real."  AOAA has the potential and the tools to become a force to be reckoned with, but for now they still serve the purpose of a "gateway band" for people who are just getting into the genre of death metal.

Release Date: January 22, 2010
Label: Nuclear Blast Records /
Siege of Amida

TRACK LISTING

1.  And So it Begins...
2.  In Snakes I Bathe
3.  Born Dead
4.  Bone Crown
5.  Emptiness
6.  Catastrophic Hybridization
7.  VII: The Horror, The Destruction...
8.  Impale the Sun
9.  Portrait of Souls
10.  Cryogenica
11.  Into the Black Slumber

Total playing time:  46:08

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Annotations of an Autopsy - II: The Reign of Darkness

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