Artist: Hypocrisy
Label: Nuclear Blast
Release Date: 3/19/02 US, 2/25/02 Europe
Average Rating: 3.33
Go to Judgment Committee Reviews of this Album
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Title: Catch 22 Artist: Hypocrisy Label: Nuclear Blast Release Date: 3/19/02 US, 2/25/02 Europe |
There are currently 3 Reader Reviews of this album.
Average Rating: 3.33 Go to Judgment Committee Reviews of this Album |
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Submitted by DeedsofDarkness (3/19/02):
I have learned to expect both frustration and relief when listening to new efforts from established metal bands. The latest cds are rushed into the player with the hope that I will still hear good heavy metal in whatever style the band plays (black/death/power/etc.). It could be a possible auditory overload, but my listening has been pretty stress-free lately. I am enjoying new releases from many mature metal acts. Include among the quality efforts the new Hypocrisy album Catch 22.In short, this album is another venture down that dark Hypocrisy alley with some new ideas injected. I was very happy to hear that the sound Peter Tagtgren pioneered on the The Fourth Dimension release is still intact and crushing listeners everywhere. While he has kept the production and style pretty much the same through the last six full length efforts, I thought the overall feel was a little subdued on the Hypocrisy release. I feared Peter was going to evolve away from this aggressive style. Thankfully, Into the Abyss and the new release Catch 22 have seen a dive back down into the overpowering depths of this successful death metal formula.
Favorite tracks on the album would include "Another Dead End", "Don't Judge Me", "Destroyed", and "A Public Puppet". However, this album is a very easy listen from beginning to end and will not induce weariness.
Both new listeners and older Hypocrisy devotees should not have any trouble enjoying Catch 22. I am a fan of all sorts of extreme metal and appreciate many different approaches. In a scene that has produced many similar sounding "good" albums, Hypocrisy has continued to stand apart with each release of their unique brand of metal.
Submitted by Jorg (3/13/02):
I was all ready to hate this album - after all, Peter Tagtgren had stated they were moving into a different dirrection and so on. Well, surprisingly, this new Hypocrisy album isn't really drastically different from their past 2-3 releases. It's still 100% metal, but probably not that much death metal. First of all, the vocals are in the vein of Pain, or screams which have been heavily processed and do not sound too much like Peter's regular vocal mutilations (no Fractured Millenium vox here). Most songs are mid-tempo, with the exception of one or 2 faster tracks, and by faster I don't mean death metal faster, but more like thrash or... nu metal. Yeah, there are a substantial number of riffs that may bring Korn to mind, even though they've been processed through the Hypocrisy style to still sound authentic. Basically, this still sounds like Hypocrisy, as if they were trying to be nu metal on a few tracks. The highlight here is the final track, being heavier and depressing in the usual Hypocrisy style.The production is still top notch as usual, with a focus on the guitars. The drums sound a bit more nu metal as well, or maybe it's just me... you'll know what I mean when you hear them. Well, this is still a great release by Hypocrisy, just different and less death metal. But if you, like myself, love all their stuff, you'd buy it anyway, just don't expect this to be another Final Chapter or Abducted styled album, it's not as heavy or extreme. Hopefully they'll come back with a more death metal sounding album next time.
Submitted by Justin Hamilton (2/25/02):
Let me start off by saying that I consider myself to be one of the biggest Hypocrisy fans around. Hypocrisy is my favorite band, and I have followed the band for a great time now. When I first heard a couple months ago that they were developing a new album, I became very excited. A new Hypocrisy album means months of play time to me.But after hearing the new release, I honestly say "Is this really Hypocrisy?" Sure, there are certain songs on there with the old Hypocrisy flare, that dark, emotional feeling that comes along with many Hypocrisy songs. But many of these pieces are simply trash. Most of the songs sound like refused Slipknot material, a band that I am not a fan of.
But the more disappointing thing is Peter claiming that this is the first real Hypocrisy album. You mean that the classic Abducted is not a Hypocrisy album? Or the heavier-than-Roseanne-during-the-holidays The Final Chapter? These are not Hypocrisy albums. So basically, Peter has been saying that all the hard work that he has put into the band for the past 10 years have meant nothing, and all the die-hard cult-like fans that have followed his bands for years now haven't really been listening to things that they really worked on. Come on.
I give this 2 skulls for the fact of some good songs and a few good melodies. This is the only Hypocrisy album since the Fourth Dimension that I wouldn't give at least 4 skulls to.
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