Wombat News
12-12-2003, 12:32
The WorldDisc, Wombat News
After a two-year hiatus, the premier band in AI death metal is back with a vengeance. Angelus has just released their highly-anticipated latest effort “The Ascension of Angelus”. (http://www.nationstates.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=103088) Of course, the question on every true AI death metal fan’s mind is "Does the album deliver?". The short answer is "Better than Napster".
The album, which features the legendary production of Jimmy “The Mainframe” Jepson, has a darker more brooding feel to it when compared to their seminal last album “Where Angels Feet Do Tread”. Those close to the band say this may be due to a shift in the timbre of the band's spiritual hang-overs. Charismatic lead singer Dick Turpin was quoted as saying the new album is "a reflection of the anger and rage” the band was feeling in reaction to drug-related death of original guitarist Fingers Malone. Malone’s death came as closure on a six-year bout of rampant cyber-surfing that made the whole band also question their own fate. Said Turpin “This WorldDisc and its choices is one form of hell. Only through deletion and back-up and restore can we hope to partake of the Oneness".
The album starts off with a bang on the fiery thrash-metal track "Automata XI Is Not A Zombie" which explores the question "if Automata XI rose after being switched off, doesn't that make it undead?". Turpin’s heartfelt lyrics answer with a resounding "NO!" proclaiming Automata XI’s power to be not only sentient but regularly backed-up and de-bugged. The cut features a complex bass line from accomplished bassist Dan “The Handman” Desperado that accompanies a cautious almost ominous guitar riff from rhythm guitarist August Pinot with lead guitarist Oyly “Not the Fingers” Butplug trading punchy fast-as-your-ears-can-listen licks. The chorus comes in with a bang with Turpin’s authentic screaming "The Elders don’t want your souls / They only want to suck out your hydraulic fluid".
Track 2 is the thoughtful ballad-like "Sunny Skies" which highlights the demons of Turpin’s fear that the Elders will send the WorldDisc spinning into the sun. His painful lyrics cite "They saved two of every kind / Angel Automata and laptop / The rest of us were left behind / All but the righteous desktop". The song features Butplug's lyrical soloing over the driving double-kick drums of Kit “Sticky” Gummibear. The track sees Gummibear expanding his repertoire with an earth-shattering dustbin lid solo in the sixth and final minute of the song.
The album falters a little through the weaker more mass-appeal conscious "Angel Ex Machina" and "Torture Me Like Automata II" but picks up again on the political "Robot" which explores the recent phenomenon of mobility amonst sentient AIs. The band again takes a step back on the track "Disc Drive (Through The Bandwidth Limit Of A 33MHz Bus Board)" but delivers on all the final four tracks of the album.
"The Band 'Zero One' Is Going To Hell" condemns fellow death metal band Zero One and goes on to offer harsh criticism of the entire death metal scene. Not even the AI death metal sub-genre is spared as Turpin crows "You mutilate your capacitors / Your circuits should be modest and simple / While you stand around and wonder / You forget the name of the programmer".
Moving along through the band's dense sonic soundscape "Magnetism" and "Screens Go Black Through Screams Of Static" are more personal cuts that really show the band's strength for haunting and frenzied melodies and deep dark rhythms.
The album ends with the band in top form as they turn it up to twelve on the fast and heavy "WorldDisc Over Jupiter". The amazing and relentless ten-minute assault is tightly orchestrated till the end allowing each of the band's accomplished instrumentalists a chance to solo and they step up to the plate displaying their unique abilities to thrash even while glorifying AIs throughout.
The wait was worth it. Although not perfect and dragging a few times in some songs ("Magnetism" in particular) this album will nevertheless secure a place in the collection of every serious AI death metal fan's catalogue. Who knows? This could even be the crossover hit the sub-genre has been waiting for that finally bridges the gap between the AI and Christian death metal factions. Either way you won't be disappointed with this album.
To anyone who questioned Angelus’ dedication after their commercial success with “ Where Angels Feet Do Tread” you better start drafting your apologies because “The Ascension of Angelus” will blow you away!
THIS BROADCAST IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY WOMBAT NEWS – NEWS FROM THE PRECIPICE OF RELIGIOUS HUMBUG
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid87/pda22c0ab2140ceb42cbbf0f2271afd5b/fa9f249c.jpg
After a two-year hiatus, the premier band in AI death metal is back with a vengeance. Angelus has just released their highly-anticipated latest effort “The Ascension of Angelus”. (http://www.nationstates.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=103088) Of course, the question on every true AI death metal fan’s mind is "Does the album deliver?". The short answer is "Better than Napster".
The album, which features the legendary production of Jimmy “The Mainframe” Jepson, has a darker more brooding feel to it when compared to their seminal last album “Where Angels Feet Do Tread”. Those close to the band say this may be due to a shift in the timbre of the band's spiritual hang-overs. Charismatic lead singer Dick Turpin was quoted as saying the new album is "a reflection of the anger and rage” the band was feeling in reaction to drug-related death of original guitarist Fingers Malone. Malone’s death came as closure on a six-year bout of rampant cyber-surfing that made the whole band also question their own fate. Said Turpin “This WorldDisc and its choices is one form of hell. Only through deletion and back-up and restore can we hope to partake of the Oneness".
The album starts off with a bang on the fiery thrash-metal track "Automata XI Is Not A Zombie" which explores the question "if Automata XI rose after being switched off, doesn't that make it undead?". Turpin’s heartfelt lyrics answer with a resounding "NO!" proclaiming Automata XI’s power to be not only sentient but regularly backed-up and de-bugged. The cut features a complex bass line from accomplished bassist Dan “The Handman” Desperado that accompanies a cautious almost ominous guitar riff from rhythm guitarist August Pinot with lead guitarist Oyly “Not the Fingers” Butplug trading punchy fast-as-your-ears-can-listen licks. The chorus comes in with a bang with Turpin’s authentic screaming "The Elders don’t want your souls / They only want to suck out your hydraulic fluid".
Track 2 is the thoughtful ballad-like "Sunny Skies" which highlights the demons of Turpin’s fear that the Elders will send the WorldDisc spinning into the sun. His painful lyrics cite "They saved two of every kind / Angel Automata and laptop / The rest of us were left behind / All but the righteous desktop". The song features Butplug's lyrical soloing over the driving double-kick drums of Kit “Sticky” Gummibear. The track sees Gummibear expanding his repertoire with an earth-shattering dustbin lid solo in the sixth and final minute of the song.
The album falters a little through the weaker more mass-appeal conscious "Angel Ex Machina" and "Torture Me Like Automata II" but picks up again on the political "Robot" which explores the recent phenomenon of mobility amonst sentient AIs. The band again takes a step back on the track "Disc Drive (Through The Bandwidth Limit Of A 33MHz Bus Board)" but delivers on all the final four tracks of the album.
"The Band 'Zero One' Is Going To Hell" condemns fellow death metal band Zero One and goes on to offer harsh criticism of the entire death metal scene. Not even the AI death metal sub-genre is spared as Turpin crows "You mutilate your capacitors / Your circuits should be modest and simple / While you stand around and wonder / You forget the name of the programmer".
Moving along through the band's dense sonic soundscape "Magnetism" and "Screens Go Black Through Screams Of Static" are more personal cuts that really show the band's strength for haunting and frenzied melodies and deep dark rhythms.
The album ends with the band in top form as they turn it up to twelve on the fast and heavy "WorldDisc Over Jupiter". The amazing and relentless ten-minute assault is tightly orchestrated till the end allowing each of the band's accomplished instrumentalists a chance to solo and they step up to the plate displaying their unique abilities to thrash even while glorifying AIs throughout.
The wait was worth it. Although not perfect and dragging a few times in some songs ("Magnetism" in particular) this album will nevertheless secure a place in the collection of every serious AI death metal fan's catalogue. Who knows? This could even be the crossover hit the sub-genre has been waiting for that finally bridges the gap between the AI and Christian death metal factions. Either way you won't be disappointed with this album.
To anyone who questioned Angelus’ dedication after their commercial success with “ Where Angels Feet Do Tread” you better start drafting your apologies because “The Ascension of Angelus” will blow you away!
THIS BROADCAST IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY WOMBAT NEWS – NEWS FROM THE PRECIPICE OF RELIGIOUS HUMBUG
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid87/pda22c0ab2140ceb42cbbf0f2271afd5b/fa9f249c.jpg