I'm About to Make a Big Mistake

I'm going to buy Morbid Angel's Illud Divinum Insanus. I already know better. Decibel's July issue provides a decent, intriguing cover story but somehow, across five pages, dances around how the album really sounds. That's not good. It describes it as "their most controversial record ever." It quotes Trey Azagthoth as describing a sound based upon "industrial hardcore ... speedcore ... terrorcore." I have very quickly learned that anything based upon "-core" is going to suck hard. And, to top things off, That's Not Metal just cut through all the bullshit and let us know, loud and clear that this album "really, really sucks." This is where being both a completist and somehow sadly addicted to a band's trainwrecks starts to hurt.

I'm not the most in-the-know metalhead by a long shot, but even I have a well-worn copy of Covenant on the shelf and while I will admit that the rest of the catalogue doesn't see as much play, more recent entries like Gateways to Annihilation had me feeling that the maturing band was more than just Death Metal's Sue Grafton.

Much of Decibel's article consists of the bandmembers claiming they're not worried about the album's reception. That's red flag #2. And what's the real story re: Pete Sandoval? Even laid up, could he not contribute to an album piecemeal in the studio - or could it not wait a little longer (what's another year at this point)? Feedback regarding Tim Yeung has been nothing but negative and it seems outright wrong that a man not only essential to the band but the entire genre is excluded from the record while still remaining "in the band." Perhaps Pete simply didn't want his name on the record.

I am tempted - and it has been strongly suggested to me - to check out samples of Illud Divinum Insanus online prior to spending my hard-earned ten bucks. Somehow, though, I feel a very wrong need to commit to with a blank slate to what every sign points to as a travesty. And what happens if I like it?  Am I willing to be the one person who meekly proclaims, "I kinda thought it was OK?" Taking it in and out of my shopping cart, I noted that, as of last night, EVERY review of the CD on Amazon.com gives a single star. Some samples from Amazon's reviewers:

• "When I hear this disc, I cringe for Morbid Angel like I cringe for Rebecca Black when I hear "Friday." Only it's worse this time because she's just some kid making a fool of herself, and this is a veteran band with lots of talent."
• "We then get to "Too Extreme!"
  The title alone makes me want to cry.
  We're treated to a song that sounds like a rip off of "Whoomp there it is".
  "Whoomp too extreme"
  "Whoomp too extreme"
  Pathetic."
• "The only reason I gave it a star at all is because it said I had to give it something."
• "It's like they tried to warn you with the Sub-Behemoth album art and butchered Latin. It's not the worst album in the world, but it is pretty much the perfect storm of confused alpha male posturing and "still with it" wash-uppery."
• "This album makes St. Anger sound like a masterpiece."
• "This isn't Morbid Angel. This is the result of what happens when death metal veterans feel the need to betray their fan base by using the trademark name to pass off their insipid wankery."

Back into the cart. I don't care. I have to hear this.