Simone Appolloni's Album Reviews
Morbid Angel have always been a crushing band, one whose riffs, despite not being slashing nor truly memorable, functioned as fractured images. Gateways to Annihilation, however, is another whole different thing. Not only the songs are slightly slower, they are more concise and even more relentless than before because of this (and the compositions don't even seem so convulsed). What sticks in the head are not the melodies but the whole instrumentation.
Never had Morbid Angel's music been so trashing. Great part of this lies in Erik Rutan, a new talent in the scene, whose objective to seek the most destroying kind of sound has transformed a lot of mediocre bands into one of the heaviest bands of the time. Thanks to the seven-string trickery of Erik, Gateways to Annihilation is the best Morbid Angel of their career. A lot they had made before the collaboration, but the listener can't compare "God of Emptiness" with "Summoning Redemption", because they are two kind of universes. The first is statuary, the second is colossal. And a lot happens to the others tracks too. "I" combines staccato-driven leads with delay-charged instrumental choruses (a bit of Shoegaze), "He Who Sleeps" finds its way through an infected crawling murk: the only completely speedy tracks are "Opening of the Gates" and closer "God of the Forsaken".
All of what's on the album only serves well the band. Don't forget Gateways to Annihilation: you won't find so many similar albums out there.
Highlights:"Summoning Redemption", "He Who Sleeps", "God of the Forsaken".
Never had Morbid Angel's music been so trashing. Great part of this lies in Erik Rutan, a new talent in the scene, whose objective to seek the most destroying kind of sound has transformed a lot of mediocre bands into one of the heaviest bands of the time. Thanks to the seven-string trickery of Erik, Gateways to Annihilation is the best Morbid Angel of their career. A lot they had made before the collaboration, but the listener can't compare "God of Emptiness" with "Summoning Redemption", because they are two kind of universes. The first is statuary, the second is colossal. And a lot happens to the others tracks too. "I" combines staccato-driven leads with delay-charged instrumental choruses (a bit of Shoegaze), "He Who Sleeps" finds its way through an infected crawling murk: the only completely speedy tracks are "Opening of the Gates" and closer "God of the Forsaken".
All of what's on the album only serves well the band. Don't forget Gateways to Annihilation: you won't find so many similar albums out there.
Highlights:"Summoning Redemption", "He Who Sleeps", "God of the Forsaken".
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