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Rating: Everyone was eagerly waiting for them, the Morbid Angel. Representatives of the most evocative branch of American death metal, since that Altars of Madness in 1989 they hadn't missed a beat, starting with a sound still very indebted to thrash and arriving at a recognizable and personal death. With the iconic David Vincent lost along the way, many were wondering who would take up the bass and stand behind the microphone. The result was the arrival of a certain Steve Tucker, with no significant experience behind him, but possessing the charisma and voice necessary not to make anyone miss the illustrious predecessor. There was curiosity, of course, but also a bit of skepticism, because replacing someone like Vincent overnight is no easy feat. Formulas Fatal to the Flesh eventually hit stores at the beginning of '98, thanks to the usual folks at Earache, and it was bewildering. Sure, Tucker has a growl that's a roar, guttural to the max, and they've returned to being a trio because Erik Rutan preferred to focus on his Hate Eternal, but that's not the point. Formulas is a boulder, a rumbling train shot at full speed. Expecting rehashes of previous records would have been absurd, but here they step on the gas like never before. And the sound? Dirty, muddy, extremely dark, practically lo-fi. Don't worry, the studios are Morrisound, no expense was spared.
In the end, Formulas is a solo album by Trey: the guitarist writes almost everything himself and even improvises as a singer. Morbid Angel as a band with a spiritual vein, almost intellectual: read the lyrics to believe it. Enough with the blasphemies and übermensch invectives of bygone days, here the newcomer finds himself invoking the entire Lovecraftian pantheon and Mesopotamian deities, complete with Sumerian texts (!!). Humbaba, Anunna, Mummu, Asag, Ningishzida: given the richness of Mesopotamian culture, Trey certainly wouldn't have been short of inspiration, as they are all mentioned. The songs rise to true and proper prayers, opening doors to other worlds: freed from all superstructures, Man is finally free to express his full potential, rising above his daily mediocrity. The notes in the booklet make it clear: hymns to higher powers, consequently, of which to be instruments on earth during this life. After all, "the future of flesh is dust" (Prayer of Hatred): it's time to recognize how ephemeral we are compared to those entities that truly govern our existences. So yes, we are light-years away from the many pseudo-Satanic clichés typical of certain extreme metal or the slasher film atmospheres of the best-selling Cannibal Corpse.
The first cornerstone of this temple of worship is called Heaving Earth: Tucker is eager to make a good impression, Pete Sandoval reminds us why he is nicknamed "Commando" and Trey alternates filthy riffs with melodic solos, seemingly out of context yet creating an evocative effect that suits the mystical atmospheres of the album. The aforementioned Prayer of Hatred is a tribute to the Old Ones of the Providence recluse, enriched with doom slowdowns that will reach their peak two years later with the album Gateways to Annihilation. Bil Ur-Sag is a Sumerian tongue-twister, very fast, whereas with Nothing is Not the brakes are finally pulled: a boulder indeed, but with unexpected melodic openings. Incidentally, when he is eventually out of the picture, Steve Tucker will openly complain about the lyrics demanded by Azagthoth, lyrics written in an unpronounceable language, everything played at maximum speed. Who can blame him? Simplifying something? Don't ask Trey, the answer is no. The guitarist's ears must have been ringing. If the steamrollers Chambers of Dis and Umulamahri seem to add little, the surprise is Hellspawn, an old piece from the days of Mike Browning's involvement, written just before he gave birth to his Nocturnus. A wild card straight from the Eighties. An excellent track is also Covenant of Death, in fact a compendium of the eclectic style of Formulas: death speed and doom slowdowns, airier moments and instrumental digressions, all with Trey and Tucker sharing the microphone. However, the true masterpiece remains Invocation of the Continual One, written fifteen years earlier but reaching its full form only now, a marathon of almost ten minutes, with Azagthoth as a priest evoking the darkest deities. Some rather lacking passages, like the short interludes at the end of the record, leave a bitter taste but so be it. For the subsequent tour, however, Erik Rutan will return to accompany Trey as in the days of Domination, forming the quartet that will then write the following Gateways to Annihilation, the last great Morbid Angel album.
In conclusion, is Formulas Fatal to the Flesh a masterpiece? Perhaps not, Altars of Madness and Covenant, by necessity, certainly had a greater impact, but it remains a significant work with a strong personality, difficult even for a genre certainly not easy to listen to like death metal. Little regarded at the time, over the years it has been reevaluated and rediscovered, also thanks to Steve Tucker's recent return to the lineup. An important piece within a discography with very few missteps.
Morbid Angel:
- Steve Tucker, vocals and bass
- Trey Azagthoth, guitars, keyboards, and vocals
- Pete “Commando” Sandoval, drums
Formulas Fatal to the Flesh:
- Heaving Earth
- Prayer of Hatred
- Bil Ur-Sag
- Nothing is Not
- Chambers of Dis
- Disturbance in the Great Slumber
- Umulamahri
- Hellspawn: The Rebirth
- Covenant of Death
- Hymn to a Gas Giant
- Invocation of the Continual One
- Ascent through the Spheres
- Hymnos Rituales de Guerra
- Trooper
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
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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Other reviews
By mayhem
The filtered vocals of Azagthoth/Tucker are a downright disaster, a real assault on the listener’s mental health.
FFTF is a mishmash of half-ideas that should be in 3 different albums.
