Uncompromising and ravenously intrusive, Open the Hearts the first album from Polish black metallers Architect of Disease is an incitement which without firing up the passions to the fullest blaze is a compelling and inventive examination of the senses. A web of melodic toxicity and sonic voracity within oppressive and blackened emotive atmospheres permeates ears and beyond across the seven track length of the release, making for an intimidating and captivating tempest of sound and intent. It is not always an easy listen or is able to grip the imagination with the same tenacity throughout but Open The Hearts is an album which heavily pleases and persistently lures attention back to its skilful persuasion.
Coming out of Łódź, Architect Of Disease emerged at the tail of 2011, rising from the demise of Iugulatus when vocalist Balrog left the band. The rest of the band decided to carry on but with a new name. 2012 saw them enter the studio to record Open The Hearts with new vocalist Wilku alongside guitarists Markiz and Matys, bassist Morbid M., and drummer Wojtass. Since the recording Wojtass has left the band to be replaced by Michal whilst the album itself marks Architect Of Disease out as deserving plenty of attention.
The release opens with Leviathan Prayer, an immediately rigorous charging encounter with sinewed crafted riffs and equally imposing rhythms. As hoarsely throated raw vocals enter the scene, the song takes a step back in its gait to venture into more of a prowl. It is a momentary thing though as the track soon pushes its accelerator again before seamlessly entwining both attacks across its remaining exacting body. The rhythmic work of Wojtass impresses as forcibly as the rich designs cast by the guitars, both enslaving attention upon which the less accessible but ultimately persuasive vocals squall venomously. It is a dramatic and gripping start swiftly built upon by Bones Regime, its ferocious opening a searing provocation for ears and emotions. There are similarities between the track and its predecessor in its structure and its incitement of certainly riffs and drums, something which across the album is a tempering defusing of the invention otherwise sculpted, but it cannot prevent the track from setting a new plateau for the enthralling encounter.
Both In the Blaze of Havoc and Without Divine Intervention roar and abrase with voracious animosity and virulent hostility, the first of the two unveiling its predation through bewitching sonic strands of endeavour and a similarly contagious core groove within a blistering ferocity. Its successor brings a heavier heavy metal vehemence to bear on ears as it launches its presence straight at the jugular. With a vitriolic groove and raging vocals, the song soon has a vindictive swagger and stride to its resourceful savagery with the bass a gloriously testy and dark throated instigator. The best track on the album, it stomps and stalks with bestial intent and muscular rabidity whilst showing more of the individual skills of the band members, their songwriting, and the potential still to be fully tapped.
The title track lacks the impact and addictive nature of the previous triumph but still makes for a riveting violation with its melodic weaves and ill-tempered fury especially the evocative slip into an atmospheric peace mid-way which is subsequently smothered by the rabid heart and assault of the song. The track leaves on an inhospitable but magnetic climax which is followed by the merciless and surly Rejection of the World, another track which arguably does not give enough diversity within itself and against other tracks but nevertheless makes for a rough-handling potent temptation.
The fifteen minute plus Devour the Sun brings the release to a potent conclusion. The song is a crawling pestilence which malevolently embraces every thought and emotion, slowly seducing and consuming their hope with its depressive intensity and malignant heart. It is too long to enslave personal attention throughout but when it does the track is an absorbing rancor which again impressively provides a portrait of the band’s skills, imagination, and promise.
Open the Hearts has plenty to feed the wants of all black and melodic extreme metal fans. It may not be an album to set the passions into overload but it is easily a deeply enjoyable release to mark Architect of Disease out as a band to watch very closely.
Open the Hearts is available via The End of Time Records now!
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Architect-Of-Disease/425689324215174
8/10
RingMaster 06/06/2014
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whispers within an intimidation ambience, thick predatory riffs and ravenous rhythms seize senses and thoughts as rasping venom fuelled vocals slowly squall over their brewing toxicity. It is an instantly striking and appealing mix which flirts wantonly as it worms around and into the psyche. Acidically sculpted grooves add to the captivating bait, their touch and enticement fiery as they sear air and ears with inventive design. Within the caustic beauty and at times seductive enterprise, there is a threatening underbelly of rabid shadows and merciless malevolence working away led by the raw vocal spite. All combined, the track makes an excellent beginning to the album, a constant trigger for the imagination to erupt from but it does push the limits of its stay at almost ten minutes in length with no major deviations in its concentrated languid prowl.
and emotional suffocation leading into a world of danger and tormented souls. The journey of the album is menacingly afoot and soon thrust into the malicious jaws of the title track. Riffs and rhythms rampage with a pack like rabidity from its first breath, never reining in its voracity even as insidiously serpentine vocals and warped sonic grooves spread out from within the maelstrom. The track is a savage aggressor but one with sleek invention and sonic poise to not temper the hostility but certainly shed a magnetic light over its violence. The narrative of the ten minute adventure is venomously expressed by the acidic vocals, their presence another aspect to acclimatise to but embraced heartily before the track is in its final throes of animosity. With a terrain which is persistently evolving and shifting the band immediately shows the depth and invention to their songwriting and imagination. With classical guitar and melodic reflection as absorbing as the ferocity burning elsewhere, Beyond the Forest is a masterful and gripping continuation of the entrance into the heart of the album.
brawl which is already squaring up to the senses, their union with the bass a relentless rapacious antagonism. It is unfussy thrash metal roaring in the ears but one seeping blackened malevolence especially in atmosphere and through the serpentine vocal rasps. It is not a perfect proposition, the vocals of AER across both songs simultaneously agreeable yet a little off-putting but to all extent and purposes do convince after numerous forays into the pit of the release, though personal taste still has a little reservation. Also the production is not the best, suffocating the spark of the songs in many ways stopping them from flaring as you feel they should, but to be fair the first song is a festering storm of metal sculpted rock ‘n’ roll which recruits a hungry appetite for its highly satisfying incitement.
Penna in the songwriting and arrangement of the closing track of the release and the opening instrumental title track, Individualism making its bow with a brief orchestral call held in a cavernous ambience and clad in portentous intent. Its respectful incitement is soon smothered by the raging torrential blaze of Blood Storm Prophecy where rhythms jab and pummel the ears whilst riffs and sonic enticement rampage and intrigue respectively. The track meanders purposely around the senses in between its corrosive spurts of intensity, vocals a spiteful glaze upon the narrative and imposing breath of the track. Though the song is arguably not openly offering anything truly new it easily slips beneath the skin and psyche, terraforming resistance into a submissive and keen appetite soon fed potently by the third track of the album.