Genre: Industrial/Death Metal
Release Date: June 7, 2011
1. Omni Potens (2:28)
2. Too Extreme! (6:13)
3. Existo Vulgore (3:59)
4. Blades for Baal (4:52)
5. I Am Morbid (5:16)
6. 10 More Dead (4:51)
7. Destructos vs. the Earth/Attack (7:15)
8. Nevermore (5:07)
9. Beauty Meets Beast (4:56)
10. Radikult (7:37)
11. Profundis - Mea Culpa (4:05)
This review is probably not going to break any new ground. A lot has already been said on the internet and in the press about Morbid Angel’s new album, Illud Divinum Insanum. Nonetheless, as a death metal fan, I felt the need to chip in my two cents on the latest release from one of the most famous death metal bands of all time.
If you’re a fan of Altars of Madness or Blessed are the Sick (or really any Morbid Angel release prior to this one), then this album will most likely be a massive disappointment for you. I certainly know it was for me. Before this much anticipated release, David Vincent and Trey Azgaroth had said they were taking the new material in a different direction. I don’t think anyone could have foreseen that this would be the result though.
Illud Divinum Insanum is the first Morbid Angel album to come out since 2003 and it is a swift departure, to say the least, from the death metal assault the band is famous for. Industrial influences and techno played a major role in shaping the sound of this record. Instead of blast beats, face melting guitar riffs and guttural growls, listeners are met with drum machines, electronic keyboards and rapping. The death metal styled parts that appear on this record feel like simply an afterthought, as if they were just added for the sake of representing the band’s roots.
The album starts off with a choral intro song, “Omni Potens”, which could have set the stage with an eerie introduction to any death metal release. But then, instead of cutting into a brutal death metal track, the listener is met with “Too Extreme!”. This song is pretty much Morbid Angel’s new sound in a nutshell. I’ve included the song below:
Too Extreme! (not really....)
When there is actual death metal drumming on the album and not drum machines, it’s really tight and awesome. I have to give much credit to session drummer Tim Yeung (who was on Hate Eternal’s first album and is involved in a number of other projects). This was the first Morbid Angel release not to feature Pete “The Feet” Sandoval, who had back surgery while the band was recording. Sandoval, being one of the most well respected death metal drummers out there, has some pretty big shoes to fill. It’s just a shame that Yeung had to be dragged down with the sinking Morbid Angel ship, because he really is a talented drummer.
The vocals are really weak in comparison to other Morbid Angel albums. I suppose during his time in the industrial band Genitorturers, David Vincent forgot how to sing death metal vocals. He ends up sounding like a poor man’s version of Fear Factory’s Burton C. Bell.
The most controversial song on the album is probably "Radikult", for a variety of reasons. The song opens up with Vincent repeating "kill a cop, kill a cop, kill a kill a kill a cop" over the drums and bass. No, this isn't the latest N.W.A. release. It's actually the new Morbid Angel. "Radikult" is another great example of how they've changed their overall sound on this record, so I've also included that track below:
Radikult
“Blades for Baal” is really the only likeable track on the album. It is pretty much a straight death metal song. Still, it only stood out to me because the rest of the album is pretty crappy.
Blades for Baal
To those who are praising this release for its experimentation, let’s remember that experimentation isn’t necessarily a good thing in and of itself. Michael Jordan left the NBA to play professional baseball, but he was a mediocre baseball player at best. No one was praising his subpar batting average simply because he was a basketball legend experimenting with baseball. The same holds true for this record. Morbid Angel has experimented with mixing industrial music and death metal, but they’ve done a poor job of it. In the end, both the industrial sections and death metal parts come off as weak. Illud Divinum Insanum IS an experiment, but it’s a failed experiment.
Hitler Reacts to New Morbid Angel Internet Meme
Honestly, Illud Divinum Insanum is only worth a listen just to hear and understand what it’s like. Other than that, there is no value or redeeming quality for it as a Morbid Angel release. This album is going to go down in history as Morbid Angel’s St. Anger or their Chinese Democracy.
Final Rating: 2.5/10
3 Favorite Songs from the Album: ...........
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