If you’re still hungover from the excesses of 2009 – both alcoholically and musically – then AOAA are certain to blow away the cobwebs in the same way as standing in the backwash of a launching space shuttle would. Mining a particularly rich vein of brutality, combining Morbid Angel-style thuggery with the straightforward approach exhibited in Behemoth’s output, Annotations of An Autopsy are quickly pricking the ears of metalheads everywhere, and ‘The Reign Of Darkness’ is a continuation of that promise.
‘In Snakes I Bathe’ pretty much sets the agenda, in the form of an aural nailbomb, and makes two things very clear very quickly: one, that AAOA are tighter than calling Farrah Fawcett “Cancery McFail”, and second of all, that they have some damn fine songwriting nous. Like a death metal DevilDriver, they have the neat trick of both being savage as hell, but also being damn catchy. ‘Born Dead’ has riffs like rushing zombies tumbling over each other to get at some tasty squishy brains, but with a massive vocal hook that can’t fail to get those fists a-pumping. Not as massive as follow-on track ‘Bone Crown’, with a lion-esque roar that makes Machine Head’s ‘Davidian’ sound as powerful as a ill cat’s fart.
It’s on ‘Emptiness’ that things really start to kick into gear; the drum work especially astounding; lesser hands (and feet) would be flummoxed by the sudden changes in tempo and intensity, but here’s it’s as natural as wishing a plane would crash on Jim Davidson’s head. However, you could make the point that ‘Impale The Sun’ lacks a spark that characterises the rest of the tracks; they take their foot off the gas slightly, which makes it seem a bit leaden in comparison. Thankfully, it’s business as usual on the final trio of tracks, leading to the epic showdown of ‘Into The Black Slumber’, which closes out the album in style.
With 2009 being a stellar year album for albums, you might be approaching the new year with trepidation, but fear not: although it’s obviously far too early to say if it’s top twenty material or not, ‘The Reign Of Darkness’ is a fine way to welcome in the new year, and reassurance that our beloved metal scene is going to continue to churn out vicious goodness for the another twelve months.
http://www.myspace.com/annotationsofanautopsy
