ITP V.011 REVIEW: MORBID ANGEL: ILLUD DIVINUM INSANUS

BAND:MORBID ANGEL (TAMPA,FLORIDA,USA) GENRE: DEATH METAL LABEL:SEASON OF MIST RELEASE DATE: 6/7/2011







PREVIOUS RELEASES (CATALOG): Altars of Madness
(May 12, 1989- Earache)
Blessed Are the Sick- (May 2, 1991-Earache)
Covenant
(June 22, 1993- Giant)

Domination
(May 9, 1995-Giant)

Formulas Fatal to the Flesh
(February 24, 1998-Earache)

Gateways to Annihilation
(October 17, 2000-Earache)

Heretic
(September 22, 2003-Earache) Illud Divinum Insanus
(June 7, 2011
Season of Mist)


BEST RELEASE(S): ALTARS OF MADNESS (1989), COVENANT (1993), DOMINATION (1995), FORMULAS FATAL TO THE FLESH (1998)

MORBID ANGEL: ILLUD DIVINUM INSANUS: TRACKLISTING:

01. Omni Potens
02. Too Extreme!
03. Existo Vulgoré
04. Blades for Baal
05. I Am Morbid
06. 10 More Dead
07. Destructos Vs. the Earth / Attack
08. Nevermore
09. Beauty Meets Beast
10. Radikult
11. Profundis - Mea Culpa

ITP RATING: ** 1/2
PRODUCTION: ***
SONGWRITING: **
PERFORMANCE: ** 1/2

FROM TREY Azagthoth (born George Emmanuel III) OF MORBID ANGEL 2009: "Is the metal scene closed-minded???? Well, is it????

"My purpose with this blog is that I have a desire to create some live performance concerts sometime in the future that include a set of MORBID ANGEL along with sets of the most extreme representatives of industrial, hardcore, terrorcore, jungle drum and bass etc DJs and groups. EXTREME MUSIC FOR EXTREME PEOPLE!!!! Right???

"Well, so it seems there are certain promoters and so-called 'authorities of the scene' who have some idea that such a gig won't work. Saying that metal people are narrow-minded and hate the various forms of hardcore DJ music for one reason or another. Is this true???

"People who know me know I am already a freaky freak artist and so then such an idea for crossing over such types of music is amazing. Exciting!!! As long as it's freakin' HARD-HITTING and SICK!!!!!!

"So... Why not, I ask.

"What is metal anyways???

"For me, 'metal' is for those who are bored with the constrictions and 'safe practices' of the mainsteam mentality, just like with any other socalled 'underground' scene or movement. Metal people wanna get mowed down by vicously sick melodies slamming over an arrangement of beats that twist the body and pull it in all directions. Freak them up. Metal, for me, is also about self-discovery. Not being sheep-like and playing 'follow the leader' but rather its about being free to express one's own ideas without the fear of ridicule. If there isn't any guts involved to challenge whatever is the current accepted patterns, then there isn't much in possibility for any new things to arise.

"What are metal lyrics even about if not about either breaking free from the dominion of some slavery-oppression, or the act of rejoicing in the pleasure of what people have passions about? Of course, there are also lyrics about fantasy and mindfuck as well too. !!!=RAWR=!!! ;)

"For me, it most certainly ISN'T about tribal-group mentality nor mainstream behavioral thinking. It's not about playing it safe either.

"What is the mentality of the mainstream??? Seems to me it's quite associated with sheepish behavoirs, placing value on 'fitting in and the approval of others' instead of the freedoms of self expression.

"What defines the term 'underground???' Isnt it when people place what they believe inside of themselves over what is supposedly supported in their exterior mainstream environment???

"What is the difference in fabricating a product and creating art????

"Where does 'trendy-ness' surface and what is it to be trendy?? Isn't it when people cannot find the source of certainties, direction and/or selfworth within themselves, especially as in those times when they are alone and not distracted, so therefore they need to base their certainties on how things reflect off of their external environment, including their peers?? Adjusting themselves to be considered favorable and to attract the approval of others outside of themselves???

"For some people in the world, the only thing 'real' is that which can be measured by the five mundane senses. For them, the inner workings are as some mysterious make believe which they sometimes play around with until any serious situation arises and then such things are placed back in the realm of 'make believe,' they, of course, fall back to earth and work from whichever foundation they find 'certainty' in, no??? Isn't this a formula based on the dependence of others, and if so, what does this have to do with the freedoms of such a thing as independence??? Where is the 'strength' in such a behavoir??? Is it just that maybe it's considered 'cool' and that's cool enough???

"OK, so the question is, do metal people only enjoy gigs with a metal-only billing??? Or do metal people also enjoy some crossover, as long as it's freakin' over-the-top EXTREME???? Does anyone even care??? Please chime in. I wanna hear from you."




Florida, USA extreme metal pioneers MORBID ANGEL are one of the most influential and best selling death metal bands of all time. Hailing from the heart of the 90's U.S. death metal scene Florida, MORBID ANGEL benefited from the late 80's demo tape trading as they broke out of the U.S. scene with Southern contemporaries DEATH, OBITUARY, CANNIBAL CORPSE and DEICIDE. Within the rising influence of the late 80's early 90's thrash and death metal scenes, the major labels smelled pay dirt as MORBID ANGEL was the pick of the litter and they did NOT disappoint with a string of brutal and influential releases including the genres best selling release of all time 1993's "Covenant".

An original EARACHE RECORDS signing, MORBID ANGEL, although very popular and influential in the extreme metal underground were demoted back to the indies, as vocalist/bassist DAVID VINCENT left the band in 1996 and ERIK RUTAN (guitarist) left the band in 1996 and again in 2003 founding HATE ETERNAL. A string of lineup changes in the MORBID ANGEL camp followed as STEVE TUCKER and the late JARED ANDERSON (HATE ETERNAL) rotated on bass/vocals.

In 2004, DAVID VINCENT returned to the MORBID ANGEL lineup (bass/vocals). In 2008, Thor Anders (DESTRUCTHOR) from ZYKLON joined MORBID ANGEL on guitar as legendary MORBID ANGEL drummer Pete Sandoval sat out recent recording and touring commitments because of a back ailment.

Drummer Tim Yeung (VITAL REMAINS, ALL THAT REMAINS, DIVINE HERESY, HATE ETERNAL, NILE) joined MORBID ANGEL as Sandovals temporary replacement for recording and touring commitments in 2010. PETE SANDOVAL is recovering from back surgery.
As all MORBID ANGEL releases are unleashed in alphabetical order, 2011 brings us "ILLUD DIVINUM INSANUS", the first MORBID ANGEL release in nearly 8 years.

MORBID ANGEL's "ILLUD DIVINUM INSANUS" kicks off with the instrumental intro "Omni Potens", an ambient intro and whispered female vocals, and the classically inspired horn jam with the crack of snare and the "ooh waay" chants of DAVID VINCENT as the track segues into "Too Extreme!".

MORBID ANGEL's "Too Extreme!" kicks off as an industrial track (yes industrial) with DAVID VINCENT's spoken word as his vocals kick in at 1:26, no blast beats just a triggered drum bass machine. "Too Extreme!" guitars are light and distorted in the mix sounding (I kid you not) like STATIC X. "We are your new religion, no religion". Ugh, disappointing.

MORBID ANGEL's "Existo Vulgoré" sounds like..ok, MORBID ANGEL, brutal and crunchy as David Vincent adopts a barking vocal approach as opposed to his gutturals on MORBID ANGELS earlier releases.

MORBID ANGEL's "Blades for Baal" kicks off brutal, with very fast double bass via Tim Yueng, an accessible and brutal metal track, although I expected more riffs, as at 2:43, a good mid paced groove is good enough.

MORBID ANGEL's "I Am Morbid" opens with the chant "Morbid, Morbid, Morbid", into a metal groove and demotes the tracks potential into some hard rock/stomp rock rehashed crap, something METALLICA would reduce itself to post '88.

MORBID ANGEL's "10 More Dead" evokes a light metal groove with a mix of riffs, mid paced akin to hard rock as at 2:12 MORBID ANGEL pull out old school death metal riffs, for a minute or two before reverting to hard rock with the chanted chorus "10 More Dead! "MORBID ANGEL's "Destructos Vs. the Earth / Attack" is a quasi industrial track, with light guitars, kind of cheesy, mediocre, and too long of a composition.

MORBID ANGEL's "Nevermore" evokes the dark, death metal riffage MORBID ANGEL are known for complete with blast beats, as "Nevermore" is not a progression but the very least MORBID ANGEL could pull out of the riff archives. MORBID ANGEL's "Nevermore" features some doomier riffs at 2:20, not bad, but I hate David Vincents chants of "wooo, oh, oh".

MORBID ANGEL's "Beauty Meets Beast" kicks in with classic 90's, mid paced death metal riffage as the mid pace of the song lags, as a good Trey Azagthoth melodic solo kicks in. However, David Vincents cheesy chants of "Awwwww", are irritating although it would go over well at a fest or stadium.

MORBID ANGEL's "Radikult"=WTF???? Crappy industrial/hard rock akin to CombiChrist with a triggered drum machine, and ugh...OH, NOOOOO!!!! I'm not even complaining about the anti authority anti pig silly lyrics, it's just the music, this is NOT MORBID ANGEL! "Radikult" ends with some absolutely non sensible chanting "Awwa, Awwa", NILE do this better. The irony of MORBID ANGEL's old Egyption lyrical concept inspiring NILE does not go unnoticed.

MORBID ANGEL's "ILLUD DIVINUM INSANUS" closes with "Profundis - Mea Culpa" kicks in fast with over processed guitars and over triggered drum kicks as a mediocre, no horrid industrial track. No disrespect to Tim Yeung's true talent, but the over processed drum kicks, or a drum machine is irritating, this sucks, STATIC X want their demos back. This is shocking and BAD.."Awwwa that SUCKED"..

MORBID ANGEL's (anticipated) "ILLUD DIVINUM INSANUS" has got to be "the biggest disappointment of 2011" from perhaps the most influential, and coolest extreme metal band of all time. MORBID ANGEL's "ILLUD DIVINUM INSANUS" lacks cohesive direction, a clusterfuck of industrial wanna be tracks with third rate death metal tunes.

The inside joke, is I did NOT recognize some of these tracks as MORBID ANGEL's until someone TOLD ME..I went over to a friends house, and as soon as I walked in he popped a CD into his home stereo player, and he asked me "If I knew whom this band was". I stated, no but that track sucks, he replied "it's MORBID ANGEL". I argued "bullshit, I love MORBID ANGEL, they are one of my favorite death metal bands of all time" and sure enough he showed me both the CD case and pulled the CD out of CD player, and my heart broke.

ITP V.011 would like to add this disclaimer as the author of this review is not only an extreme metal fan, but also a huge industrial music fan. I love MINISTRY,SKINNY PUPPY, NINE INCH NAILS remixes, KMFDM, ARGYLE PARK/CIRCLE OF DUST, WUMPSCUT, PRONGS REMIXES and also FEAR FACTORY's (pre 2000) "Fear Is The Mindkiller" and REMANUFACTURE (remixes).

If you're going in the industrial metal direction you might want either Rhys Fulber (FEAR FACTORY keyboardist/ producer) or (EX) SKINNY PUPPY member Dave "Rave" Oglive to produce and remix quality death metal tunes.. The idea is to write a quality death metal tune first and perhaps then remix the tune into it's industrial version. Again, I'm NOT against extreme metal bands "experimenting with industrial remixes", it's just even if you take MORBID ANGEL's experimentation with industrial for what it is, it's horrid and the death metal tunes on "ILLUD DIVINUM INSANUS" are lackluster at mid pace with "Blades For Baal" being the standout track. Perhaps if MORBID ANGEL's "ILLUD DIVINUM INSANUS" had be released as an EP with only the death metal tunes, this release wouldn't have been so alienating.

Also, MORBID ANGEL need to unleash TIM YEUNG behind the kit and let the man play as Yeung is a much better drummer than MORBID ANGEL will allow him to be, being traded for triggers and a drum machine must be stifling.

The only good thing that came out of listening to MORBID ANGEL's "ILLUD DIVINUM INSANUS" is reminiscing about the 90's Florida, USA death metal scene of yore, (good times) and knowing that DEICIDE are still brutal and slaytanic, DEATH is re-issuing Chuck's catalog, OBITUARY are re united and touring, and CANNIBAL CORPSE will release a new offering next year.

MORBID ANGEL's "ILLUD DIVINUM INSANUS" is what happens when you get pussy whipped on a mediocre "industrial" gimmick band like the GENITORTURERS (Dave Vincent's wife's band as in his absence from MORBID ANGEL he played bass for them.) as indeed this release is the ultimate down fall, just sad.

:Reads Trey Azagthoth's press release from 2009: I should have known better.

ITP RATING: ** 1/2
PRODUCTION: ***
SONGWRITING: **
PERFORMANCE: ** 1/2

Thanks-Stay Metal, Stay Brutal-\m/ -l-