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Rating:
1998. Skit.
"You know, I've written some lyrics for my new album," said Trey Azagthoth to his best friend(?)
"Mmmh... what about?"
"Ehm, the usual story of... Satan, the... Ancients,... Chtulhu, the Gods... ehm... Babylonian and... similar stuff: listen here"
"Ah... ehm... yes"
"Me-Zu-Me-Pa-Ku-Ku-De-Hul"
"...what?!"
"Me-Zu-Me-Pa-Ku-Ku-De-Hul!!! Me-Zu-Me-Pa-Ku-Ku-De-Hul!!!"
"..."
"Bil-At Kir-Zal Za-A-Kam Ki-Aga-Du-Kas-Du Da-Ra-Es Mu Ga Im-Mi-In-Nin-Ana-Si-Anna Ga Sa-Ga-Ar-Za-A-Kam Ne-Su-Ub-Du Ne-En-Mu Ga Sa-Ga-Ar"
"You're kidding me, Trey"
"Spirits of the Deep Waters, remeeeeeeeeeeeember!!!" (exits raving)
This intro gives you an idea of the album: embarrassing. It's probably no coincidence that no one has reviewed it yet. And I already know that many won't agree with me. So be it.
When I have to deal with a band I really like, I myself find it difficult (as expected) to talk about them in not-so-flattering terms: believe me, it's hard to give more than 2 here, it takes courage.
Apart from the Babylonian shenanigans, which some might like but I consider rather contrived, the musical side leaves a bit (too much) to be desired: it's an album (compared to previous ones) poorly recorded, perhaps deliberately, but with very few ideas and little enthusiasm. The filtered vocals of Azagthoth/Tucker are a downright disaster, a real assault on the listener's mental health.
Of course, I don't want to be - of all people - the one who gratuitously ridicules metal and the esotericism that accompanies it (very important in bands I idolize, including Nile and Behemoth) but this is something else. It lacks the connecting thread, the style, practically everything!
I perceive the guitar riffs in this album as the most fake and stereotypical thing of recent years. Beyond the banality of the title (which is an "alias" of 666, the number of the beast(!), since FFF=666, and blah blah blah), we're clearly at the end of the road: the usual "ingredients", and consequently the usual "soup".
Our trio is fierce, aggressive, and not very cohesive, and everything you hear here might as well be a cassette bootleg, given that there are few (worsened) characteristics different from previous works. Even the titles, to give you an idea, are almost the same(!). The usual harsh and once again unripe riffs, the usual guitar squeals, the newer growling more predictable than the universe, just some arpeggios and a few "ambient" parts that offer hope for improvement: but it's all in vain, unfortunately.
FFTF is a mishmash of half-ideas that should be in 3 different albums. Believe me, I find it hard to believe that these are the same artists behind masterpieces like "Blessed Are The Sick" and "Covenant" - and indeed, they are not. It seems that "things" are placed intentionally for shock value. Contrived, or worse, random. Perhaps much of the horror, as I mentioned, depends on the absence of Dave Vincent: this might be a reason.
I point out excessively chaotic and "botched" tracks (in the worst sense of the term) like "Chambers Of Disease", pieces you forget after 10 seconds like "Heaving Earth", pseudo-death obscenities like "Umulamahri". The atmosphere is vaguely dark and faintly sick, and it shakes me far too little. Of course, there are also positive aspects: yes, there is this dark atmosphere, but (for once) it fails to captivate me. There are also good episodes, such as "Hellspawn: The Rebirth", "Covenant Of Death", the display of sweep-picking in "Hymn To A Gas Giant", and a few others. But it's too little.
Paradoxically, the second part of the album - from track 8 onwards - is better than the first, particularly "Invocation Of The Continual One" and "Hymnos Rituales De Guerra" which vaguely recalls the famous "Sylvester Anfang", performed by Schnitzler for Mayhem's first album. But we're not there yet, they could have cut 7-8 (useless) tracks and the 2 would have become 2 and a half (to be generous). I really struggle to believe that FFTF is praised on any webzine, while there are fantastic bands, no one talks about, that are 1000 times better than the MA of this album.
What a misstep, what a disappointment.
Tracklist Lyrics and Samples
01 Heaving Earth (03:54)
Before that which is, all was not
Less the Sweet Waters of Habsu
Chthhulhu Amah-Ushumgal-Anna
Triumvirate of Most High
Spirits of the Deep Waters, remember
Humbaba, Lord of the Forest, remember
From the Sweet Bitter all that is came
Creation of man and their gods
But man, fashioning overwhelm
Could not see the Light which he holds
Spirits of Purifying Flames, remember
Anunna, Gods of the Skies, remember
Anunnaki, Judges of Ur, remember
Anunnaki, Weighers of the Truth, be praised
The gift of flesh
Was in fact life's curse
Although born one in the same
In Spirit, but the flesh all too coarse
Discord, among the gods of men
Although they were brothers
Diversities grew
Overshadowing their connection
On the clearest of days they are
One in the same
Pettiest of purpose
Degenerates things to their crudest form
Being loathsome to Habsu
Zi-Zi Badur-Ku-Ku, Kanpa
Warring, in the Belly of Tiamat
Brothers do battle
Principalities of folly
Disturb the Mummu
The One Who Bore All Was
Appalled by their ways
Her Dream Time was of no peace
Their fleshly behavior
Overbeating and proud
She despised them
Zi Zi Anunnaki, Kanpa
The Ways of the Underworld are Perfect
Not to be questioned by that of the brute
Clearly beyond the understanding
Of that which is ruled by the drives of the flesh
For whom shall then oppose
The Lights of Asag, Purifying Flames
Come child, the Anunnaki wait
Truth is the Weapon no pity it holds
The ways of the flesh
Barbaric behavior patterns
Flesh over Spirit, the motivator of the worthless
The ways of the flesh
The evolution is minimal
I watch as your kingdoms rise and fall
Causing no effective change
Your military
Command structure of impotence
A gross misuse of force
By leaders who lack in vision
Your gods
Evidence of your weakness
Your focus is one with delusion
You worship that which means your end
Rise up, O Mahummuhu
The Judgement is passed
The treachery is clear
They shalt become empty like the wind
The emptiest of shells so shall they be
O Great Mother
The Armies shall rise with Weapons
No pity they hold
From Your Great Mummu
The Serpents shall come
Venom for blood
And the Glory of Gods
Spirits of the Flames, remember
Anunna, Gods of the Skies, remember
Anunnaki, Judges of Ur, remember
Anunnaki, Weighers of the Truth, be praised
Mahummuhu Gal-Gal
Me-Gal-Gal-Zu Ga Hul
Amah-Ushumgal-Anna
Me-Gal-Gal-Zu Ga Hul
02 Prayer of Hatred (04:28)
Blessed be the Ones
The Most Ancient Ones
Blessed be the Ones
Who where here before and after remain
Blessed be the meekness of the flesh
I watch as it withers and dies
Come with Storm and
Blow the flesh from this earth
Come with Flood and
Wash away the flesh from this earth
The mighty of this world are only
Mighty of the flesh
But that of flesh
Is crushed by that of the Mountain
For it is written that
The future of flesh is dust
You are but a shall
Your wine something unsees
Come with Fire and
Burn the flesh from this earth
Make the Earth upheaval
May it swallow up the flesh of this earth
Your dreams
Mundane delusions of Malkuth
My dreams
The Continuum Force that devours all things
Dreams
That eat the flesh and drink the blood
Uruku, My brothers
It is your time to feed
Your will
Empty promises you can't fulfill
My will
Brings avalanches of abundance
Power
Of the Gods circulate within my veins
I lie in wait
Being that erodes all things
03 Bil Ur-Sag (02:29)
Bil Ur-Sag
You quake the earth
Scorcher of skies
Your Towers of Flames
You've come to Cleanse the treacherous act
You've come to Tame the rebeliousness
Bil Ur-Sag Lul-Lu Nig-Hul Tur
Ha-Elm Zalag
Za-A-Kam Me-Lam-Ma-Bi-Du
Ki-Bal-A Su-Sa
Unmatched Your Principle is unopposed
The Light You hold unmatched is unopposed
You glide across and beneath the lands
Your Affects engulf the rebeliousness
Ur-Sag Zi-Ga-Ni Naphar Ajjabi
Sharush
Sa-Par-Mah-Zu Diri La-Magiru
Sin Su-La
Terror
Your Battle Roar seeds
Terror
No shield can withstand
The Seven Weapons of Flame
The Principal Force that You wield
Captive
The hostile ones are held
Captive
The insubmissive are
Brought to their knees
For they cannot counter
Your massive assault upon them.
The ill-natured
You've Burned from our land
Hostile gatherings You've Tamed
You were unmatched
No counter could be found
With Fury and Flames
You Scorched their aggressiveness
Bil Ur-Sag Lul-Lu Nig-Hul Tur
Ha-Elm Zalag
Za-A-Kam Me-Lam-Ma-Bi-Du
Ki-Bal-A Su-Sa
[Translation:]
* Bil Ur-Sag Lul-Lu Nig-Hul Tur Ha-Elm Zalag *
O Lion-head, Your awesome Blaze of Fire consumed the gathering of the
treacherous and the ill-natured. Purifying them.
* Za-A-Kam Me-Lam-Ma-Bi-Du Ki-Bal-A Su-Sa *
It is Thine Aura, awful lights, overwhelming the enemy lands
* Ur-Sag Zi-Ga-Ni Naphar Ajjabi Sharush *
O lion-heads, with Your most awesome Rising power.
Destroyer of the gathering of the enemy gods.
* Sa-Par-Mah-Zu Diri La-Magiru Sin Su-La *
Your Great Net, being so enourmous swallowed the disobedient ones, binding
there hands.
07 Umulamahri (04:32)
Why should we serve that which betrays
Leeches, they steal of our lives
Why should we lower ourselves to the beasts
Submissive they are to be made
We need not to be held in their chains
Illusions but they can still hold
We rise within the strength
The One Who lays them to waste
Praising the Weapon that Cleanses our land
So perfect It's Way unopposed
Punisher of the treacherous ones
U-Mu La Mah-Ri
This Force no bolt withstands
For It's now the Merciless One
Un-quenchable rage in holds
Only sated when the last falls
Their deeds of treason
Unsees by the ones enchained
Ignorance which shielded the crimes
All seen by the All Knowing One
You'll perish within the Hands
Of the Storm that means your end
These things you call your gods
These things, they save you not
Oh now you live the torment
Bound in the chains that enslaved us
Now you feel the suffering
That you bestowed upon your being
Live the pain of the Gnashing Teeth that's
Grinding your bones enslaver
By what right did you bind us
Now you'll reap the suffering
Oh there's no mercy for you've
Broken the Sacred Laws you've
Taken the dreams of many
Lives you have bound and punished
For your crimes no repentance
Can turn back the Wrath
Which you've called on yourselves
By your deeds
No new life can arise
From a land once denounced
By my Lord
For unrivaled He stands
For no man may rise up
To enslave any other
Made free by Design of our God
That of Might shall
Define what is right
For unmatched is the Power
Of Chthhulhu Most High
Praising the Weapon that Cleanses our land
So perfect It's Way unopposed
These things you praise as gods
These things, dispirited things
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