Sometimes you have your hopes riding high while awaiting a new release only to have them collapse after one brief listen. Arma Cristi was a fantastic record, fresh, energetic and earnest. Unfortunately I cannot say the same about this one. It seems like the guys have run out of new ideas and have decided to rehash what they have done previously. I was quite seriously disappointed at hearing this. The lack of anything new is my major cause for disappointment, since technically speaking this is not a bad record by any means. It's just not as good and not quite as fresh as Urgehal's earlier releases. I miss a lot of the naïve earnestness of the previous records. So far the only significant change that comes to mind is that the sound is somewhat thicker and less shrill. There are a few Death Metal influences here and there….and that's about it. A wasted opportunity…
The band compensates the diminished intensity of the record by including some outrageous artwork which takes the standard BM esthetic to a new height. There isn't really much more I can say about this. It's OK and fans will like it but it won't make any top 10 lists any time soon.
note: 6/10
Related Posts
UKĆ „Coming Out”
HER ANXIETY „No Land In Sight”
REBEL SOULS „Dawn of Depravity”
CICONIA „Animal Chapters”
SIEGE OF POWER „This Is Tomorrow”
LUMSK „Fremmede Toner”
LITOST „Pathos”
DIRTY VELVET “Far Beyond The Moon”
ZØRORMR „The Monolith”
THE GROUND SHAKER “Rogue Asylum”
BLACK HAWK „Soulkeeper”
OÏKOUMEN „Dystopia”
SLEGEST „Avstand”
ÓSSERP „Els Nous Cants De La Sibil-la”
KATATONIA „Sky Void Of Stars”
REVOCATION „Netherheaven”
ICESTORM „The Northern Crusades”
EXODUS „Persona Non Grata”
ORIGIN OF INFINITY „After The Slumber”
ORIGIN OF INFINITY „Ocvltism”
GLOBUS “Cinematica”
HEIDEN „Andzjel”
EXESSUS „Asynapse”
LORD SONNY THE UNIFIER “America’s Newest Hitmaker”
MAGICAL HEART „Heartsonic”
SPOILER NYC “Banned in 38 States”
SON CESANO “Emerge”
DEVILSBRIDGE „Sense Of”
RED ELM „Arena”
