An Unapologetic, Raw and Furious

Morbid Angel is a band in the death metal scene that really needs no introduction, their music helped to pave the way into uncharted territory when death metal was still in its infancy and inspired many to follow suit. The band’s ninth studio release Kingdoms Disdained is just as powerful as any other works they have released and put simply, is an unapologetic, raw, and furious display of musicianship. The drumming borders on a level of skill that is insane to comprehend and the mix has it at the forefront throughout the release.

Kingdoms Disdained manages to fit 11 songs into the 48 minute album, but doesn’t feel rushed as the songs transition between each other almost seamlessly. As mentioned before, the drumming is almost entirely at the forefront of the mix but it does not detract from the vocals or guitar throughout, it does make transitions between sections of their songs much easier to follow along.

Though the album as a whole is an excellent composition, there are a few songs who still manage to stand out from the rest, “Architect and Iconoclast” being the first. From the very beginning, the track has a sort of magnetism that immediately grabs the listener’s attention. The vocals are powerful, and tie together nicely with the rest of the band. The drum fills are almost predictive in nature as the listener can very easily key in on when a transition is about to happen simply by how the drum fills between verses are played. The guitar serves in more of a rhythm section role but its presence within the composition is formidable at the least.

Another example of the best the album has to offer is “Declaring New Law” due to its gradual overtaking of the senses throughout. The track begins with a slow palm muted guitar riff similar to how Cannibal Corpse’s introduction on “Stripped, Raped, and Strangled” opened up. Though the song is repetitive it isn’t repetitive in a bad way, it’s more like a sense of consistency throughout. the guitar really shines during the solo beginning at about the 3:25 mark and really helps to create a despondent sort of facet to the piece.

The album as a whole is incredibly well written and even more well mixed. Though the entire album is a shining example of prowess in the death metal category, some songs simply manage to outshine the others and ascend to the forefront as the listener gets further and further into the album.