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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Ultimate Comeback Album of 2004, April 1, 2005
After "Catch 22" fell short of its glory, Hypocrisy went into hiding and re-emerged in 2004 with "The Arrival". They have gone back to the classic melodeath formual with this album, again concentrating on the art of songwriting and mood of the songs rather than experimentation. The soaring guitar melodies, the straight-forward baterry of the drums, and Peter's anguished high-pitched screams topping everything off. "The Arrival" is the melodic death metal album for a new generation, and is a hige return to form and comeback for the melodeath masters.
The guitars... utterly amazing! The crunchy classic death metal parts blend perfectly with the double-layered melodies and larger-than life choruses. The main concentration of the album is the power of the songs, and every song will stick to you unlike any death metal you've ever listened to, especially the choruses in many of the songs. The song structures follow basic verse-chorus rhetorics with occasional solos, but the songs maintain their freshness with originality, power, and the technical flairs that pop up every now and then. The drums sound huge, as they do in usual Abyss Studios fashion; it fits the music well, adding that much more to the concept that the album is based on... Which may raise a few eyebrows. (The whole album is a concept album about aliens.)
The album is strong and consistent in its delivery, and won't disappoint any metal fans. "The Arrival" is definitely one of the better metal purchases of 2004, and is reccommended to virtually all metal fans. The standout songs are "The Eraser", "Slave to the Parasites", "The Abyss", and "Dead Sky Dawning".
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
AMAZING METAL FOR OPEN EARS, December 11, 2005
This album has some very strong points. I'll give a brief song description below:
1. BORN DEAD BURIED ALIVE - Excellent intro, quite alien spooky sounding, giving the listener the urge to keep listening on, then some amazing vocal use for an intro and then..."uuuw" comes in the vocals and a furious, ripping, pounding and utterly chaotic sound at mid/fast speed. Amazing intro track with great instrument and vocal use. 5/5
2. ERASER - Starts with a creepy yet mellow bass solo, then the guitars and drums come in, and then the vocals. This is a pretty good song and has a very melancholic guitar riff which holds the song together nicely. Slow paced, but suited. 4.5/5
3. STILLBORN - Starts off with a rhythm guitar solo. This track has a certain type of energy that just drives like a locomotive. Excellent screams. 4.5/5
4. SLAVE TO THE PARASITES - A mid/slow paced song that gets very emotionally distressed as the song progresses. One of my favourite tracks. Very interesting subject matter and I enjoy listening to this song when I'm angry. Melancholic guitars rule this almost suicidal song. The best vocal use on entire album. 5/5
5. NEW WORLD - Ok intro, but once the pounding double-kick bass drums come in you'll be hooked. This is my favourite song on the CD. It has a hard-driving energy chorus which is so perfect in my perception that I wish Hypocrisy would make more songs with powerful sounding choruses. Everything is as it should be on this track. 6/5
6. THE ABYSS - Feels like it belongs on 'The Fourth Dimension' for some reason, but this is an excellent song and a nice flashback to the style used on 'The Fourth Dimension'. Nice complex drumming patterns and chants to suit a slow paced melody. 5/5
7. DEAD SKY DAWNING - Starts with some heavy guitars and drum beats...and then the most amazing vocal intro to any song I've ever heard. WOW...Hypocrisy have really become a powerful band able to depress and anger anyone who listens to this track (not in a bad way, just a mix of emotions that works so well). Makes you think about what the world will become. This is another favourite. 6/5
8. THE DEPARTURE - Nice intro, severe screaming...this song would have been an amazing last track, but it is still excellent as second last track. Hypocrisy's maturity is most present in this song. Absolutely amazing vocals/lyrics/music. Another favourite without a doubt. 6/5
9. WAR WITHIN - Starts with a very black metal style intro which soon transforms into a heavy chuncky sound, and keeps changing back and forth through the whole song. Vocals are spot on. An excellent last track that lifts your spirit a bit after hearing the melancholic 'The Departure'. Nice finish.
The thing I really like about this album is that there are a few outstanding tracks which brings interest and climax to the album as a whole, and those few outstanding tracks will almost never bore, no matter how many times you hear them.
A must have for all HYPOCRISY fans and anyone who is currently listening to black/death metal, actually chances are that this album will appeal to most metal fans who are after a diverse and wierd yet known subject matter...mostly about humanity and how we are heading towards a dead world. I can't get enough of the subject and I'm glad their next album 'Virus' runs on very similar subject matter and more.
I would like to thank HYPOCRISY for producing some of the most innovative metal available today. Please keep at it strong, and never give in to trend or fan expectations. Follow your hearts and minds.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Don't let the cheesy cover art fool you!, August 31, 2004
Despite it's absolutely horrid cover art, Arrival, the 9th album from Swedish death metal tyrants Hypocrisy, is a HUUUUUUUUUUGE step forward from their last album, the 2002 disaster Catch 22. Gone are the nu-metal elements that made that album so god-awful, and back are the classic elements of the band; Peter's demonic voice, amazing combined agressive riffing and twin harmonies, kicka$$ bass lines, and monster drumming. So, it looks like Peter came to his senses and realized how awful it was to experiment with nu-metal. And now, a look at the three highlights of the album. The three best songs on the album are tracks 1, 2, and 5. Track 1, "Born Dead, Buried Alive," begins with a slow harmony intro, then speeds up drastically. Another example of a metal album with a great intro. Track 2, "Eraser," opens with a melody bass solo, then the guitars come in, harmonizing throughout the whole song, most notably the solo. And track 5, "New World," is very fast and heavy, and Peter's really growlin' on the vocals. Overall, highly recommended for fans of some of their earlier work like Osculum Obscenum, Abducted, and Final Chapter. Other bands you might like if you like Hypocrisy: Dimmu Borgir, Bloodbath (Peter sings for them now!), Dark Funeral (original Hypocrisy singer Masse's other band), In Flames, Dark Tranquillity, and much more.
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