Morbid Angel
Formulas Fatal To The Flesh

THE REVIEW

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.