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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Catch "Virus" now!, November 11, 2005
The Swedish death metal titans return with their umpteenth album, which, with scorching riffs and flattening drums, has been praised as the group's finest release in six years. "Virus" is best when it's super fast, and, unfortunately, it isn't always this way. But when it is at its peak, it hits nearly as hard as vintage Napalm Death, and as speedy as Eighties Metallica. The members of Hypocrisy (which now includes Immortal's ex-drummer Horgh) conjoin as a team and plow forward like a tank, crushing everything else. "Warpath" is maybe the best song on the record. It has hyper-speed riffs and double bass drumming, and begins with an ear drum piercing, tortured bellow. The rest of the song flies by and doesn't relent. "Scrutinized," which has super heavy, steam rolling, churning riffs and a searing solo, is not without its charm, however, and "Blooddrenched" has more propulsive guitars and rapid fire drums. Finally, "Compulsive Psychosis" has bursts of thunderous, machine gun drumming. To give you a sense of what the vocals are like on this record, listen to track seven, "A Thousand Lies," where Peter digs deep for Opeth-like growls and even shrieks like Cradle of Filth's Dani. When the album is finally over and the dust is able to settle, the listener feels pummeled and quite satisfied. It's not the best metal album of the year, or even the best death metal released in 2005, but you could really do a lot worse than the latest "Virus" that this band is selling. If you've ever liked Hypocrisy, and if you even have an interest in death metal, make sure you catch "Virus."
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Now they've really arrived, November 13, 2005
Whether Virus is the best album of Hypocrisy will always be debatable, but there's no arguing that it is certainly an excellent disc that easily surpasses their last three albums. Into the Abyss was a good release actually, but it just seemed weak compared to their tremendous back catalog despite killer tracks in the form of "Blinded" and "Fire in the Sky". As for Catch 22, while still courageously defended by Tagtgren himself, it was a disappointing release in more than one way. With The Arrival, Hypocrisy tried to put themselves back on the right track, but the album also contained some mediocre moments. However, Virus sees them really functioning as a solid band with a great lineup, as new drummer Horgh (ex-Immortal) is aboard now together with Andreas Holma on second guitar. Horgh is a killer drummer. His speed-of-light beats are both intricate and dangerously brutal, while Holma on guitars brings the band a much-welcome dual guitar attack approach, and his solos are perfect as well. This album has plenty of solos that older Hypocrisy fans might have been looking for, and if that's the case, they're going to love it.
A short intro segues into "Warpath", a song that is right up there with the best songs Peter Tagtgren and his friends have penned in their 15-year career. It is filled with ultra-heavy guitar rhythms that continuously change and reinvent themselves, and with the addition of Horgh's inhuman drum workout, this song should become a must for any live show in the future. Tagtgren sounds as aggressive and brutal as ever, certainly more pissed off than the last couple of discs, and he showcases a broad range of vocal styles from typical Tagtgren growls to terrifying blackened shrieks and even Opethian low growls. "Blooddrenched" is one of the more concise numbers, but Tagtgren's low voice is pulverizing and the fast, intricate guitar work on it is going to gain the band many a new fan. This Holma guy on guitars is a great addition to the mold. "Scrutinized" also features an infectious lead solo with lots of guitar and bass riffs surrounding it. On "Fearless" we have plenty of synth work, as things slow down for a moment, and melodic guitars take the lead while Tagtgren still sticks to his guns and spews out toxic high-pitched screams. Traces of blackened thrash are heard on "Let the Knife Do the Talking" and the multiple vocals on this track are really awesome. "A Thousand Lies" gives the listener some time to catch their breath; it's an acoustic song with both clean and death vocals and punishing guitar harmonies.
The anthemic intro of "Incised Before I've Ceased" is one of the finest parts of Virus because of its maniacal drumming and Tagtgren's crazed screams. However, what really makes the song is the beautifully arranged classical intermezzo that slices through the whole track. It's great to see Hypocrisy still exploring new territory and managing to effortlessly blend them with their otherwise in-your-face type of aggression. "Compulsive Psychosis", a track littered with very complex instrumentation and longer guitar lines, breaks into the final song "Living to Die", sung entirely in clean vocals and punctuated by a definite Pink Floyd influence thanks to its heavy synth and somewhat psychedelic underpinning. Virus is a great piece of work, hinting at a successful return-to-form feel and blending all the necessary elements of Hypocrisy: their knack for aggressive riffs, melodic signature, and tight instrumentation.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Best album since 1999!, October 14, 2005
I've been a huge Hypocrisy fan for at least 10 years now. My favorite album of theres is(was?) the self-titled Hypocrisy album released in 1999. This is by far Tagtgren's most expressive album since. I was wondering if he'd ever capture the blend of pure anger and agression with harmony and melody. I think he did with Virus... I listened to it all the way through about 5 times already and I can't stop. I was upset at first when I heard Lars Skoke had left the band, but the two new additions (Horg and Holma) are very welcome. A must for all death metal fans!
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