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August 29, 2008 |
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THE WICKED - Sonic Scriptures Of The End Times / Songs To Have Your Nightmares With
Spikefarm (2004) |
7.5/10 |
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01. Epithimia Gia Athanasia
02. Riddles Without Answers & Celestial Mechanics
03. Phobos IV
04. Point-Blank Avenue & Unbirthday Song
05. To Kill A Friend
06. H8 Universal
07. Vaptisma Tis Gnosis
08. Digital Satan
09. Lex Praedatorius - Eaters Of The Weak
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THE WICKED first formed in 1999 (the only horrible act that year, according to their own website - they do have a pretty good sense of humor) as the brainchild of Necrotron (keyboards/guitars) and Lucius M.K (vocals). Soon Meggadeath (drums), and Hotpinkplague (bass) joined the two and began creating their unique brand of music. Their first album, "...For Theirs Is The Flesh", came to be in 2002, and the band started to gain a following, which lead them to the recording of their new album.
"Sonic Scriptures Of The End Times / Songs To Have Your Nightmares With" is an interesting, ambitious album to be sure, complete with a warning label that reads "Papal Advisory: Apocalyptic Content". But, you're not really going to find typical songs on this disc, as it album plays more like a movie score than an album, with its news clips, horror sounds, operatic music, death vocals, black metal, and a plethora of other ominous sounds. The best way to describe the music found here is imagine that you're watching a movie - during the scenes, you really don't notice the music in the background, but if the music stopped, you would definitely notice. It's that kind of music and because these are not your typical metal songs, some people may find this album difficult to listen to. Is it "apocalyptic scary"? Nah, not really, but it is an intriguing listen.
The album begins with a very cool and eerie monologue, entitled "Epithimia Gia Athanasia", giving the listener the impression that something wicked (pun intended) is going on. The man's voice is somewhat distraught...scared...intense. It's a very cool way to start an album because you're not really sure what is going on. What's happening? What's going to happen? The listener is drawn in right from the beginning. Track two, "Riddles Without Answers & Celestial Mechanics", is a bizarre amalgamation of opera, polka, and death metal that creates one wild ride. I can honestly say that I don't think I've ever heard anything like this before. The vocals are mixed way, way in the background of "Phobos IV", rendering them rather ineffective, but the music is yet another strange mix that somehow works.
"To Kill A Friend" is a classical music piece that eventually turns into a bit of a chugging rocker, while "H8 Universal" is pure old-school black metal, complete with tin-y drums and deathly vocals that sound like they were recorded in another room. No sound bytes here. The disc takes a downturn with "Vaptisma Tis Gnosis", which takes forever to get going, and I'm not even really sure what it's supposed to be accomplishing. To me, it's just 'sounds' (for lack of a better word). "Digital Satan" picks it up a bit and is a little more industrial than the rest of the album. The final track, "Lex Praedatorius - Eaters Of The Weak", begins with the sound byte "They're here..."(from the horror flick Poltergeist) and features more classical music mixed with death metal. Throughout this entire album, the band throws everything except the kitchen sink at you.
One thing that I find can be very frustrating about the music business is the fact that if you are a musician/band that pushes the boundaries of what most people find 'acceptable' (not meaning censorship either), then they might not be around for very long. Most people just aren't willing to try something new, especially when it comes to the type of music they listen to; though metal fans are generally more open to new experiences than most. This is a shame because music can become so stagnant and cookie-cutter-like, and when a new band comes along that is trying something new, they are never given a chance. THE WICKED are an interesting band, but because of the type of music they create, there might only be a limited audience for them. That's really too bad because this is a very 'non-traditional' listening experience, and it pushes the boundaries, which is something that the music biz desperately needs.
If you are the experimental type, and don't mind taking a chance with music, then "Sonic Scriptures Of The End Times / Songs To Have Your Nightmares With" is what you're looking for. Hats off to THE WICKED for creating something completely out of the ordinary!
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