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Rating: With the lineup reduced to three, the morbid angel doesn't slow down; on the contrary, it offers us another masterpiece of powerful, extremely fast, dark, and inspired death metal.
"Rapture" kicks off the blasphemous orations with the usual steamroller Pete Sandoval behind the drums, Vincent with a voice rougher than ever, and an ever-inventive Azagtoth, with a guitar style increasingly personal and unique. "Pain Divine", violent and relentless, is enhanced by Trey crafting sinister and oppressive guitar riffs and melodies, "Pain it's a gods reward" - "Il dolore è la ricompensa degli dei" recites Vincent with guttural singing, one of the best death songs ever.
You are engulfed by ferocity and rage, always supported by a good dose of technique, "World Of Shit" after a slowed and tense initial part bursts into a blazing acceleration, whereas, with the devastating "Vengeance Is Mine", you plunge into a fury of no return with a chilling ending in the verse "This night of splendor the beast arise in me this is my destiny my sword shall take life" - "In questa notte splendente la bestia nasce in me è il mio destino la mia spada dovrà prendere vita". You find yourself at the center of the colosseum in the time of the ancient Romans, intent on executing Christians by feeding them to lions, "Lions Den" indeed, with powerful and varied drumming and the (dark) magic of Azagtoth on guitar. "Pagan belief of sacrifice" - "Il credo pagano del sacrificio". The relentless tirade continues with the blind fury of "Blood On My Hands", one of the best tracks on the album comes with "Angel Of Disease", a true infernal whirlwind between mid-tempo, slowdowns, and sudden accelerations with Vincent’s voice twisting into an almost black metal scream, recounting of the great ancients and their violent practices "Sacrifice swings within leather noose" - "I sacrifici oscillano nei cappi di pelle", you catch your breath a bit concerning speed with "Sworn to the black" but the power is undoubtedly there. We mentally traverse the Arctic mountains into the recesses of the world of the great ancients with the instrumental and dreamlike "Nar Mattaru," a strange and fascinating song, an atmospheric intro for the final masterpiece "God Of Emptiness", slumberous, dark and doom-laden in rhythms that slither like serpents, Vincent delivers the best vocal performance of the album, at times in his classic growl sinking into deeper tones and even actual singing. "Let the children comes to me their mother loves me so shall they, woman bleeding eat my gifts men was close behind" - "Lasciate che i bambini vengano a me le loro madri mi amano e così faranno loro, la donna ferita mangia i miei doni l'uomo si avvicina dietro".
The end credits roll on this dark chapter, under a bright sky the morbid angel spreads black clouds, thunder, and lightning.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 Rapture (04:17)
Confront me unholy ones
Bastard saints scorn of the earth
I summon thee now poison me
Death under will burn in my soul
Exalt me enemies of the lamb
Intrude - We are of one
Under will, I walk the path of sin
With your spells I die again
Raise me from mortal
My will be your will
My words speak your words
Your pains raise me to bliss
What of this anger now
Received to lance your enemy
I feel the energy
The poison moves in me
I spill blood
Scorn of the earth, I witness
In rapture I'm born again
Scorn of the light, I bear scorn
In rapture I'm reborn
10 God of Emptiness (05:26)
Lies - And you fill their souls
With all oppressions of this world
And all the glory you receive
So, What makes you supreme?
Lies - and your crown is falling
I offer fantasy
And you, Creator,
Blind with envy
So let the children come to me
Their mother loves me, so shall they
Woman, bleeding, ate my gifts
Man was close behind
Just like a snake I'm slithering
Thru my world divine
And like the cat I'm stalking
I'll take your soul and You'll
Be like me
In emptiness
Bow to me faithfully
Bow to me splendidly
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Other reviews
By mayhem
41 minutes of ferocious and dreamlike sounds, worthy of the worst nightmares each of us has.
Morbid Angel takes a step forward, daring something more, striving not just to hit hard, but to shake, to fill every frequency of the amplifier.
