Around since 1993, this experimental black metal project from Austria has been flirting with industrial for some time. This is their 9th album and is a study of various temptations. The first is ego, which has some indulgence when it comes to the multiple guitar parts so I suppose its fitting enough. The next temptation is stasis which is similar to sloth if we are comparing these to the seven deadly sins. Like the track before it there are a lot of ripping guitar parts and barely more in terms of song writing to hold onto.
Emperor are the masters of this prog infused chaos, while they have taken a few notes at times it seems they are studying the wrong parts. The creepiness elevates with this song and some of the guitar slows into something you can head band to in between the shredding. I have no problem with shredding as long as you still serve the song, in fact I want to know you can but are using restraint to allow for other grandiose things like melody.
You might assume the satanic studies being delved into here would make me want to cut them some slack. Parlor tricks like that only worked on me when I was in high school. "Akrasia" is a little more melodic in it's intro.The need for speed here comes across like Emperor especially how the vocals are layered in the cleaner chants. I know these guys are talented to weave all of these parts together, but does that make a good song? Defaulting into blast beats when all else fails should answer that for you. The calms before the storms on this album are great. The eeriness wins me over. There is some really outstanding guitar playing on this album as well.The really loose jazz like tendency to let the bottom fall out in a few break down section also works well in the same way it does for Mr. Bungle or John Zorn.
On "Indulgence" you have to wonder how this album could get any more indulgent. The answer comes in a trippy herky jerky element. The album by this point seems to be devoid of all industrial elements. There is a Deathspell Omega or Blut Aus Nord sense of chaos majick about things. the lower clean vocals that moan out from behind the mountains of madness work well and I would like to hear more of them. "Neglect" is more foot on the gas, than complex web of riffage though far from conventional.
"Compos Mentis" slows things down into a steadier crunch.They do of course build it back up into the blast. Which it bears saying when they do blast it is not done in the normal manner. This is very much a guitar players album despite impressive drumming.The arpeggios scream out from every nook and cranny at some points in time.The album ends with excess. The 11 minute epic, starts off with a very hellish lurching and swells up from the abyss from there. There seems to be more compositional nuances on this one. This chaos is confined in between the gnashing of teeth.
You gotta admire these guys for the infernal ugliness they have woven together like something from a Clive Barker novel. Do I think Emperor does this type of grandiose mania better.. yes, but for what this is it's worth checking out if sonic density and madness is your thing.It's well executed and produced , but not what I am always in the mood for. I'll give this one a 7.5, if you are already a fan of these guys and know what you are getting into round it up another full point.
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