### Morbid Angel: Illud divinum insanus

#### 08/07/11 || Habakuk

No matter how good they really were at some point in their career (and arguably, they’ve made quite the impact), Morbid Angel think of themselves as the shit. There really is no other explanation for what’s happening on and around this long-awaited album. The guys, or at least some of them, clearly think what they do is what’s hot in music, and everybody’s watching in awe, just to wait and follow.

Granted, everybody is watching. I guess there is some sense of awe even, not sure if in the intended direction, but it’s there. The point they’re really missing is, nobody is following. In fact, they themselves are following what other bands have done for a long, long time, probably even stopped doing by now. As a result, “Illud Divinum Insanus” first of all sounds fake. Secondly, it lacks coherence, as the band seem to have tried to touch all kinds of styles with a song or two each, so as to singlehandedly create templates for “new styles”.

Morbid Angel just seem to completely omit in a, now pardon my generalization, very stereotypical American way, that they are not breaking any new ground, in fact that not even their new-found influences are “obscure”, and “extreme”. They might have been unknown to them, but it’s not like the world revolves around Morbid Angel who just now have unveiled mysterious new elements to implement into metal, like (wooo) Industrial or even (gasp) Techno.

And clumsily at that, I might add. I am not saying that it’s a generally good or bad idea, but there are tons of bands who have done things like this before and more commitedly. There was no need for anyone, big name or not, to step in and start mixing and matching stuff in a way that replaces dedication to a style with “You wouldn’t even understand what we’re doing here”-like egocentrism. Well, wrong. We do understand.

It doesn’t take a musical genius to find out that “Too Extreme!” and “Destructos…” lack dynamics. Pure and simple. I actually like the drum replacement with an Industrial beat in the first one, but this can’t go on forever. Screaming “extreme!” is not an excuse for a lack of songwriting and boring “riffs” that lean towards electronic club music, but fail at it. And that is exactly the point. It’s not my problem that the sacred cow of death metal is trying something new, it’s that they openly suck at it. This continues with for “Radikult”, which sounds like Marylin Manson, but fails to go anywhere except for cyber goth mongo heaven with lines like “Living hardcore Radikult” or whatever. “Whoa-ooh ohhh” and Froggy “OOOOOO-Ah” utterings don’t sound evil because you have Dave Vincent and are Morbid Angel. They sound stupid. And the intro to the super-annoying “Profundis/Mea Culpa” sounds like a boss stage in “Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles”. To sum it up, whatever new ideas they incorporated, they all pretty much blew.

Now the thing is, if all this new stuff is so groundbreaking, then why exactly is there so much “classic” sounding stuff on the album – and why were the first snippets made public the most old school sounding bits? Sure, their label has something to say about the second point as well, but it definitely fits the half-assed vibe I’m getting throughout this album. Anyway, it’s those songs that save this album from total failure.

“Blades for Baal”, “Nevermore”, “Ten more dead”, “Beauty meets beast” and “Existo vulgoré” are more in the good ole Morbid Angel style and while they aren’t stellar material, for the most part they don’t disappoint. The instrumental performances, production and even Dave Vincents new-found raspy scream are absolutely fine by me. “I am Morbid” ain’t too shabby either, but am I the only one with a bad taste in my mouth when they start a studio song off with “fans” screaming “Morbid, morbid!!”? Self-adulation has never been more blatant, and it is more than transparent that they forcefully tried to get a new live anthem to work.

As a conclusion, it’s apparent that Morbid Angel are still somewhat good at writing and playing Morbid Angel. If they really believe that they are as good at everything else, and that they get away with their ridiculous attempts, this eventually shows just a very basic truth: Morbid Angel have seriously overestimated themselves with this one.

“Omni Potens” my ass.

- Information
- Released: 2011
- Label: Season Of Mist
- Website: “www.morbidangel.com”:
- Band
- Dave Vincent: vocals, bass
- Trey Aznhagnfagn: guitars
- Thor Anders Myhren: guitars
- Tim Yeung: drums

- Tracklist
- 01. Omni Potens
- 02. Too Extreme!
- 03. Existo Vulgoré
- 04. Blades for Baal
- 05. I am morbid
- 06. Ten more dead
- 07. Destructos vs. The earth / Attack
- 08. Nevermore
- 09. Beauty meets beast
- 10. Radikult
- 11. Profundis / Mea Culpa