Hypocrisy
The Fourth Dimension

THE REVIEW

The fourth dimension... what is the fourth dimension? Time... or hell?? Any sane person, after the achievements of 20th-century physics, will answer you: time. But here the sane leave time where they find it! And so again: time... or hell?? Peter Tagtgren (where the hell is the umlaut?), leader and founder of Hypocrisy, has very clear ideas on the matter... very clear.

It's the early months of 1994 when recording on the band's third album begins; the first two albums of the Swedish group were characterized by an overly monotonous sound: raw and essential Death Metal played at breakneck speed, with that typically Scandinavian "crushing" imprint that distinguishes groups like Entombed and Dismember. However, Tagtgren is not at all satisfied with what has been produced so far; also because he wants and absolutely needs to compete with the sacred monsters of the genre who have published, in the United States in the early nineties, genuine milestones. It's all too easy to mention the Death of "Human", Morbid Angel of "Covenant", and Obituary of "The End Complete"... and now let's all take a good minute of silence, shuddering at the power of such superlative records.

And if one has to change, this time is the right time: because Masse Broberg has left, and Peter, besides wielding the guitar, also takes on the task of replacing him on "vocals". It's an opportunity to make a change, while not forgetting the past.

The new work is once again released by the label Nuclear Blast; at that time, the German label was synonymous with enormous musical quality, with particular reference to the productions of the most fierce and bloody Death Metal. A musical category, however, that our band begins to find restrictive. Indeed, starting from this album, Hypocrisy introduces melodic elements into a sound proposal that remains, nonetheless, a hammer blow to the pork scratching. And we are in '94: the year before saw the light of "Heartwork" by the great Carcass, the following year we would be benefiting from the absolute masterpieces "Slaughter of the Soul" and "The Gallery"... not a terrible moment to enroll, albeit only marginally, in the galaxy of the Swedish Death (par excellence). The transition that defines this album has also touched the lyrics, which still present the satanic nonsense of the early days, but to which are added - rather sick - reflections on death and evil; already from the following "Abducted," moreover, Tagtgren and his peers will gradually veer towards sci-fi shores. But let's focus on the work, shall we?

Look at the cover: something ambiguous, perverse, that seems to want to bind itself to the very title of the work: the fourth dimension, unknown, which therefore is frightening. A subtly sick fear: a man sitting on a swivel chair, like those used by barbers (and here any reference to blades and blood is not accidental). The setting is an empty room where a pale and cold orange light gives a claustrophobic sense to everything; the sentient human, but it could also be a corpse, is completely wrapped in a sort of shroud of plastic material. It couldn't have started the album better; because there are albums, like this one, that have their opening right from the cover. And when you find out that that poor creature is bassist Mikael Hedlund.....

The album opens with the threatening "Apocalypse," sustained by keyboards that create a chilling, cold, and oppressive sound wall, as if catacombal Black Sabbath met on their way to the gates of Hell the solemn and wicked Type O Negative of the first records. A mid-tempo with Doom movements of unheard-of heaviness.

In general, the whole album is a continuous alternation of typical Death explosions, primarily "Reborn" and "Orgy in Blood", played with derailing impetus, sustained by Peter's abyssal growl, influenced by the Brutal death of, again, an American style, and more controlled, thoughtful tracks, but no less... devastating for this. And yet, from time to time, between a sprinkle of melody and a Doom touch, you also end up in the gray lake of melancholy: listen to "Reincarnation" to believe it. In this way, short of breath and hope, one arrives at "The Fourth Dimension", placed at the end of the album: a slow, swampy, pachyderm track that crushes and shatters you. GLACIALLY. A track that Hypocrisy will remember in 2001, when they will return to record it, stuffing it with the arisen symphonic influences: influences already present in the anguishing and despondent final "The Arrival of the Demons".

A MASTERPIECE marking a decisive transition, a work capable of sometimes reminding me of Suffocation, other times even the early Tristania... personally, their peak.