“Panic” is the opening phrase grumbled by returning vocalist/bassist/keyboardist David Vincent.  And that is exactly what Morbid Angel’s first album in eight years has caused.  Not because Vincent is back in the fold, drummer Tim Yeung (ex-Hate Eternal, Divine Heresy) is effortlessly filling in the side-lined Pete Sandoval and Destructhor (ex-Zyklon, Myrkskog) is the new second axe.  No, the panic has been caused by Trey Azagthoth and Vincent clearly embracing and incorporating non-Death Metal elements into Illud Divinum Insanus. Panic is what happens when one of the founding and most influential Death Metal bands starts proudly wearing their love for other genres on their sleeves.

After the keyboard-heavy “Omni Potens,” the real panic starts with “Too Extreme!”  Is that Death Metal Dance!? Not really.  But it isn’t classic Morbid Angel either.  Built on a pounding drum beat and atonal riffs, it’s clearly a Hardcore Techno-styled track without the samples, synths and drum machines.  Both “Existo Vulgore” and the truly blistering “Blades for Baal” lay down the formula and aggression that Morbid Angel is known for.  “Blades” could have easily found its way on Formulas.

Things slow down to a crunchy march on both “I Am Morbid” and “10 More Dead.”  While the chants might be new, the chugging riffs are not. But the accessibility of “I Am Morbid” will earn many grumbles as will Vincent’s barking approach. Vastly superior, but equally slow is “10 More Dead.” The song feels like a direct sequel to the groove and grinding of “Where the Slime Live.” Vincent snarls and barks over a salvo of exceptionally heavy riffs while the songs mid-point gets back to the blazing speeds and solos.

Then there is “Destructos Vs. Earth/Attack.” Vincent delivers a robotic, grumbling style over a throbbing beat that distracts from the complexities of the riffs beneath all the pounding.  While a true first for Morbid Angel, especially with lyrics about extraterrestrial invasions, the song is catchy. The second part, “Attack” is just a blasting assault of what could best be described as Terrorcore with a whacky Azagthoth riff.  Things get back to normal with the crushing “Nevermore” and marching mid-paced attack of “Beauty Meets Beast.” Vincent’s howls and moans are a little odd, but there is no denying the bite of what is perhaps his best vocal performance on the disc.

No one expected “Radikult.”  It is way too Marilyn Manson/Prong-ish for a Death Metal pioneer. In fact, the song really channels what Industrial Metal was about in the late 90s.  What people don’t seem to get is the track is meant to be fun.  Vincent is barking out lyrics about the prowess of Morbid Angel and Metal in general.  Is Morbid Angel being serious here? No. If you listen closely during the soloing section, it’s a pure mid-paced Morbid Angel track.  While “Radikult” will clearly rub a lot of folks the wrong way, but by no means is it as awful as crud like Powerman 5000 or Danzig’s attempt at trying to be Godflesh.  Even with the previous song’s accessibility, “Profundis - Mea Culpa” ups the oddness ante tenfold. Here Morbid Angel is clearly taking noise like Atari Teenage Riot and making it even more violent.  Vincent barks over more atonal riffs and the pace runs between crawling to Speedcore levels.  The drums and even the guitars sound heavily processed and a bit uncomfortable with their own tangents.  While Azagthoth has always expressed a love for assaultive, fringe Techno, it’s pretty shocking to hear Morbid Angel proudly display this genre on their album.  And if you can actually make it through the track more than once, it is clearly Morbid Angel at the core. In fact, the riveting drums turn blasts on their head as they start to chew through a sub-woofer. 

Have Morbid Angel fans forgotten the Liabach Remixes? Have they forgotten Vincent’s tenure in Industrial/BDSM group Genitorturers? Have they forgotten all the interviews with Azagthoth, who states never being comfortable creating Death Metal by rote and continually citing his love for Sailor Moon, Quake, Techno and Waltzes?  Have they forgotten the continual growth, tempo-tweaks and even spacey interludes from Blessed are the Sick all the way to Heretic? It appears so.  But Morbid Angel is a bit to blame for the backlash by relying on the “classic” material in all the tours since Vincent’s return in 2004.  It really seems fans were expecting another Covenant. But Illud Divinum Insanus isn’t Kovenant either. Illud Divinum Insanus is actually a bizarre grower. In fact, after the initial startling shock, it’s much more engaging than 2003’s ho-hum Heretic. But the fact is Morbid Angel have NOT shifted from Death Metal to Dance Metal.  There are several tracks that are pure Morbid Angel with a few that have the juevos to go on an atypical tangent. Most will reel in horror while some will really appreciate Morbid Angel’s gutsy move. Illud Divinum Insanus is unexpected and unrestrained brilliance. Sorry fickle Death Metal purists, Morbid Angel were born this way.

TRACK LISTING

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*Comments:

1.  Omni Potens
2.  Too Extreme!
3.  Existo Vulgoré
4.  Blades of Baal
5.  I Am Morbid
6.  10 More Dead
7.  Destructos Vs. the Earth / Attack
8.  Nevermore
9.  Beauty Meets Beast
10.  Radikult
11.  Profundis - Mea Culpa

Total playing time: 56:40

Release Date: June 6, 2011
Label: Season of Mist Records

Morbid Angel - Illud Divinum Insanus

Reviewer: Rottenbucher

June 19, 2011

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