The clouds of the heavens roll
back and the White Rider descends with eyes of blazing fire, come to rain
judgment upon the Earth. The hordes of
evil cower under a fierce onslaught of rolling guitars and drums as relentless growling
rents the air. If the human mind can
truly fathom the wanton destruction that comes with the end times, certainly
ForChristSake has hit a chord of verisimilitude with their extreme metal debut Apocalyptic Visions of Divine Terror.
Apocalyptic
Divisions of Divine Terror is a carefully crafted album that plunges into multiple metal
subgenres. The band draws influence from
legendary acts like Bolt Thrower in its thrashy riffs and driving melodies, while the
breakneck pace, drumming, and shouting that is interspersed with the death
growls is reminiscent of Living Sacrifice’s album Inhabit.
Intermingled amidst this wealth of diversity are black metal shrieks, symphonic
pieces, melodic riffs, and even some singing.
These elements all mesh together to create an enjoyable, diverse album
for the listener. A few highlights from the album include the
driving thrash monster “At the Gates of Depravity,” the heroic,
guitar-shredding “Serpent Rises,” and the groove-laden “Necronemesis.”
While these elements all blend
together to create a highly enjoyable, intricate album, Apocalyptic Visions of Divine Terror is merely a stepping stone
towards a higher pinnacle. It’s a step
in the right direction, but the band still has a few things to tweak. The album is extensive in length, with 16 tracks. For the average prog lover, this isn’t any
problem. For some thrash and death metal
heads, this may be more of an issue.
ForChristSake keeps it captivating enough that you won’t lose interest
easily, but it’s still a monolith of sound that takes a firm will to tackle all
at once. Cutting a few of the songs off
of the top would have made the album more accessible to the casual
listener. While the production is
excellent, there is still some work to do to create a perfect balance between
the different musical elements that appear on the album.
If the band continues to
experiment with different styles of music, and they grow more cohesive as a
unit, they have immense potential.
Death, thrash, and black metal fans alike will find many aspects of Apocalyptic Visions of Divine Terror enjoyable. So what are you waiting for? Put on your headphones, tune out the world
around you, and experience a new vision of terror and mayhem.
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