Artist: The Great Deceiver
Label: Peaceville Records
Release Date: 5/11/04
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Title: Terra Incognito Artist: The Great Deceiver Label: Peaceville Records Release Date: 5/11/04 |
Judgment Committee Reviews | Rating |
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Abyss's Review:
I must admit, I wasn't the biggest fan of this band's last record, A Venom Well Designed. But I did respect that album due mostly to the uniqueness of its sound. It was part crust, part hardcore, part metal, part rock and didn't sound like anything else out there. I found myself frustrated that I didn't listen to it as often as I would have hoped, and I was really looking forward to this record to see if that one elusive missing thing would be present in their latest work, at long last allowing me to embrace this band fully.
"One word review: Nu-tral." I must say I was quite surprised when I first heard Terra Incognito. While the band has maintained a semblance of their previous sound, they've made a significant turn toward the mainstream. Many of the songs on this record could be categorized as straight up nu metal, with bands like Korn and the Deftones showing definite influences. And while The Great Deceiver remain a much more organic sounding band, they will definitely surprise a great deal of people with this release.
Nu metal doesn't permeate the entire album, however, and the band maintains a pretty unique sound despite their new direction. Regardless of what many people believe, I've never thought that Lindberg was the defining point of this band, and I think he is even less so on this record. While the sound has expanded, his vocals have remained a little restricted - not bad, mind you, just less adventurous than the music surrounding them. The band's biggest asset remains their willingness to spin things around when it comes to sound and style. The guitars experiment constantly with new (and nu) effects, never allowing the listener to get bored, and the band's willingness to approach song structure from different point of view assures them a continued uniqueness.
All in all I'm not really sure I like the direction this band is going, but I think it took real balls to do what they've done. It will be interesting to see how this album is received and if others will continue to praise their off-kilter approach to heavy music, or if they'll be blasted as sellouts for tasting a bit from the forbidden fruit. One word review: Nu-tral.
Death's Review:
Isn't it about time for an At the Gates reunion? C'mon, industry people, that would be killer and would probably sell records. That and a new Carcass album. But back to At the Gates - they are pretty much the progenitors of a whole wave of underground metal, so now that metal is back in style why not come back and show 'em all how it's done? Sure, I like the Haunted and all, but it really is not the same. Ex-ATG frontman Tomas Lindberg sounded cool enough with the Crown, but that was short-lived. Trust me, the new album from the Great Deceiver is no substitute.
"Your money is better spent in a lot of other places." Terra Incognito is like The Haunted meets Sepultura's Roots with the nu-metal quotient upped about five notches. I won't say the record totally sucks, but I will say that it is not good. Of course, that is because I do not like this sound. Every thirteen-year-old kid in the high school halls with a Shadows Fall t-shirt on and Killswitch Engage and Lamb of God stickers on his locker knows that nu-metal is dead. Heck, even that Coal Chamber guy that is now doing DevilDriver knows that nu-metal is dead. Why the fuck doesn't Tomas Lindberg know that? This album is already well past the sell-by date if you know what I mean.
Now of course I am being harsh. There is some stuff to like here if you are so inclined, and Lindberg's legendary voice is actually showcased quite well. There are some cool riffs and some interesting, modern effects. I like the stylish album cover as well. But I am definitely not going to be listening to much more of this. Your money is better spent in a lot of other places.
Hel's Review:
Whenever an album from The Great Deceiver comes my way, I want to like it. I put it into my player, thinking I'll like it, hoping I'll like it. But the music coming from my speakers does not make the pieces click into place. Rather, it is their incessant drive to incorporate more "modern" elements into their sound that drives a wedge between my desire and reality, particularly with this new album.
"The more I listen to the album, the less I like it." There are sections that I like - parts of songs, rather than whole songs. Taking a few death elements, mixing them with a combination of the more recent innovations In Flames has been incorporating into their style, and using a mid-era Machine Head / Fear Factory kind of vibe, seems to be the basic formula used in creating these songs. Worse, the more I listen to the album, the less I like it - even the parts that struck me as palatable in the beginning.
There is merit to this record, but it simply is not the sort of thing that makes me all tingly and happy when I listen to it. Instead, I find myself getting increasingly annoyed with each spin. I think I need to hit "stop" now, before I start flashing back to last night's Slipknot show...
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