Hypocrisy - Virus
Not even a year has passed since The Arrival, the band’s triumphant return to form, and already Peter Tagtgren and company have churned out another full-length album. As if being a full time producer, briefly fronting Bloodbath, and having near death strokes hasn’t kept him busy enough. Sadly this album marks the end of the Lars Szoke era, as we say goodbye to one of the original members of this legendary Swedish Death troop. His versatile drumming style has graced Hypocrisy albums for 13 years, and while he’ll undoubtedly be missed, former Immortal skinsman Horgh is a formidable replacement to say the least. I’m not going to lie, to some degree this is somewhat of a disappointment, although by no means a dismal failure. The best way to get at it is to break the album down. Songs like “Warpath,” “Scrutinized,” “Craving for Another Killing,” and “Blooddrenched,” are among the fastest and most brutal this band has ever penned, and certainly the addition of Horgh was a factor there. They’re heavy as fuck and sound great, but as far as Hypocrisy songs go, they’re a little boring. “Fearless,” “Let the Knife Do the Talking,” “A Thousand Lies,” and “Incised Before I’ve Ceased,” are more of what I’ve come to expect from this band in the last 9 years. Slower, moodier, melodic, dynamic, and catchier than Birdflu. The album closes out with “Compulsive Psychosis,” the most memorable of the brutal selections, and “Living to Die,” which exposes the softer side of Peter Tagtgren, not unlike “Slippin’ Away” from the Abducted LP. As I said, this is not a bad album by any stretch. Aside from Catch 22, I’ll take any Hypocrisy any day. I’ll just never be convinced that these songs didn’t need more time to ferment in the brilliant mind of Peter Tagtgren.
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