Hypocrisy - End of Disclosure
Every time Hypocrisy releases a new album, I can’t help but reflect on the truly remarkable run Peter Tagtgren & Co. have had. How many Death Metal bands can you name that began their career with four perfect records in five years? A couple decades later and I can still pretty much recite Penetralia, Osculum Obscenum, The Fourth Dimension, and Abducted from memory. That’s pretty fucking special. Of course, that isn’t to say the magic stopped there. It’s worth noting that 1997’s The Final Chapter was a nearly flawless affair as well. There’s only one real blemish on the Swedes’ resume, and we all know —including Tagtgren himself— which album I’m talking about. But as otherwise solid as the output has been from 1999’s self-titled LP through 2009’s A Taste of Extreme Divinity, these efforts haven’t had the same staying power. Want a test? How do any of the songs on Into the Abyss go? How about The Arrival? Virus? No peeking! Surely a scan of the tracklists will serve to remind us of the highlights, but straight from the memory banks, I’m drawing a blank. My point being, we haven’t been served anything as growl-in-the-shower good as “Left to Rot,” “Pleasure of Molestation,” “Apocalypse,” or “Roswell 47” in quite awhile. Unfortunately, End of Disclosure doesn’t buck this trend. It’s another good record from a great band, but it’s nothing you’re going to remember in 20 months, let alone 20 years. The opening title track is probably the strongest song here. A keyboard-laced Melodeath anthem with a catchy chorus that bears the band’s signature mid-paced atmospherics throughout. “Tales of Thy Spineless” is without question the fastest cut —although the song is slightly weakened by some awkward spoken bits— but Doomy closer “The Return” might be the heaviest. Meanwhile, mid-album skipper “44 Double Zero” is easily the weakest link, due in large part to some Painfully sub-par shrieking and an excessively repetitive chorus. Apart from these four tracks, nothing really stands out. It’s an enjoyable listen, but ultimately lacks the substance and memorability to dethrone whatever your favorite Hypocrisy moment might be. If I may offer a suggestion, maybe it’s time to start writing about something other than aliens? Never seen one. Don’t really give a fuck. Lots of other shit to talk about. Still, a relatively mediocre, possibly phoned-in album at this stage of the game isn’t enough to tarnish this hallowed legacy. Hypocrisy standards are awfully lofty to judge by… perhaps even for Hypocrisy.
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