Released September 28th 2018
Runtime: 40 Minutes, 2 Seconds
Record Label: Season Of Mist
- Prescience (1:18)
- Soothsayer (4:53)
- The Idolator (5:12)
- Golgothan Tongues (6:15)
- Divine Anhedonia (5:03)
- Devotion (Blood For Link) (6:25)
- Threnody (2:19) Instrumental
- Obulus (8:37)
- Jamie Knox (Drums)
- Alex Kulick (Bass)
- Damian Herring (Guitar/Keyboards/Vocals)
- Matt Know (Guitar/Vocals)
This album release came as a surprise to me since I was not expecting Horrendous to be making a new album for some time yet, maybe not until some point next year perhaps. However my interest in the band has been piquing as of late; i first became away of Horrendous following listening to the song The Stranger off their second record, hearing great things and the song Ozymandias which made me all the more curious and interested to the point now where I decided that the next release would be given a full review to see just what exactly makes Horrendous tick. Over the course of listening to these various songs over the album, I came to a conclusion that Horrendous have never exactly crafted the same album twice without compromising their core sound (unless we count their debut record which i’ve heard is a much more straight up Death Metal release). Therefore Idol is an album i’ve been looking forward to for a while now and shall no doubt take the plunge once more into the deeper crevasses of Horrendous’ discography, regardless of my thoughts on this album.
Its curious how the band do not open the album in any way that could be labelled as bombastic. Prescience is this oddly relaxing and warm introduction to the album as if its greeting an old friend after some time following a transformation because that’s how Soothsayer comes across to us as. With the most realised and competent Death Metal assault the band have yet delivered, with all the technical and progressive elements they’ve been known to incorporate as well, Horrendous do exceedingly well to convey this archaic yet tightly refined riff performance and malleable songwriting that feels like it could genuinely go anywhere. As testament to the band’s unique tendencies for experimentation and intricacies, the opening to The Idolator again features this rather calming and inviting bass tone all the while jazz influenced drum patterns sink you deeper into the track. Its curious that the band really do not wish to establish a typical Death Metal album here but perhaps aspire to craft something more artful and ambitious. Its this track that we get more of an insight into the band’s frame of mind for songwriting as riffs feel like they can be easily interchanged with other riffs on the album. Riffs feel eclectic, fast paced but possessing this genuine flair of competent musicianship; the band’s talent is on clear show here as they rip through one song to the next shredding effortlessly played solos whilst they do so.
But i feel what makes the riffs and solos come off as so satisfying and impressive is how precise they feel. Listen closely to the guitar work on this album, Horrendous do not play with thunderous, primal vigour instead they’re playing with pinpoint accuracy, getting just the right note at the right time in sequence with the drum’s songwriting too. Its a demonstration of how mature this band has evolved as beyond their earliest Death Metal days, each proceeding album release like the recent Anareta are treated with with the greatest sincerity for the band’s respective craft. The band take music seriously, honing their art to a point where they feel they can adequately release it to the public. Its a rare sight to see a band take such intimate care with their music. But Idol has this bizarre characteristic to be able to almost transport you to the atmosphere where this album may have been conceived. Its during the band’s weirder, more progressive moments that this comes about; its like you consciousness is momentarily ripped out of your body and taken into the album itself where you begin experiencing the oddities of Idol all the more. Its a bizarre feeling but its there and helps the band’s off-centre songwriting feel all the more rooted in reality.
The band deliver quite the surprise (or not so much of a surprise if you understand what the band are going for on this album) with gospel-esque vocals that help break up the track Devotion – Blood For Link before diving us right back into the fray with blistering solos. The guitar work throughout this album is outstanding as you feel the weight and strength of each solo that is played before you. This truly shows that while Horrendous recognise the need for conventional entertainment within Extreme Metal, it really helps to be remembered if your craft shows that time, effort and care has been poured into this album. My favourite tracks off this album are Soothsayer, Golgothan Tongues and Obulus. In conclusion, this may be Horrendous’ most realised album to date. Icon is the record that will be regarded i believe as the band’s finest work to date, a complete mature evolution from their earliest Death Metal days. The band have clearly thrown an awful lot of time, work and effort into this album because a record such as this doesn’t just come out of the writing or recording processes overnight. What really sells this album though is how natural the progressive elements feel to this record, Idol doesn’t feel like its been written to solely accommodate the band’s progressive nature, but rather the progressive aspects have been incorporated directly into the band’s songwriting from Day One because it is too seamless of a listening experience to be anything but that. Highly enjoyable but more importantly, its different.
8.5/10
Favourite tracks:
- Soothsayer
- Golgothan Tongues
- Obulus
Bangyourheaduntlyouredead 