Chaos of Forms - Revocation - 2011

There is no way I am going to be able to do Chaos of Forms justice. I simply lack the vocabulary to put into words how very superb Revocation's latest record is. And maybe that's the best description: dumbfounding. Dumbfuckingfoundingly good.

There is a classic undercurrent apparent in all of Revocation's work (well, all I have heard, which now consists of Chaos of Forms and its predecessor, Existence is Futile. I have yet to locate a copy of Empire of the Obscene). Chaos of Forms is aptly-named as it tears through a mind-blowing diversity of styles and instrumentation: there are distinct progressive strains ("Dissolution Ritual") and pure thrash throwback ("Cradle Robber") - even incorporation of a horn section and organ on "The Watchers."

The addition of a second guitar in the form of Dan Gargiulo is like icing on top of more icing on top of the proverbial cake. Balls out wizardry. Add in some great production that pulls back the curtain and shines a spotlight on the thunderous rhythm section of Anthony Buda and Phil Dubois-Coyne. Still, though, Revocation has a bona fide star in David Davidson, a modern guitar hero and frontman destined for superstar status.

Chaos of Forms is a clinic on the capabilities of a guitar in the hands of an expert and, far from cold technicality, Davidson (and Gargiulo) evoke real emotion while still churning out an utterly jaw-dropping performance. Vocals remain a throaty growl but here and there are delivered cleanly (albeit in chanting form). Revocation play with tempos, acoustics, dynamics... and succeed every time. Most impressively, they also manage memorable riffs and hooks by the boatload and any single track on Chaos of Forms could understandably be labeled a favorite (mine, by the way, is currently "No Funeral").

Hard to describe or categorize without multiple hyphens, Revocation is, above all, simply and wholly metal. And Chaos of Forms is easily one of the best metal records of 2011.