Review artwork - Vile - The New Age of Chaos

Rating: 8.1

Country: USA

Release Date: 2005

Track list:
1. Devour
2. Deafening Silence [mp3]
3. The New Age Of Chaos
4. Suicide Warfare
5. Sentenced To Live
6. The Burning Shrines
7. Ritual Decapitation
8. Worldhunt
9. Forlorn

Band Website: Vile

Vile - The New Age of Chaos

Juan Urteaga - Vocals
Colin Davis - Guitar
Jack Gibson - Bass
Tyson Jupin - Drums

Vile have had an interesting discography. Their debut Stench of the Deceased was much more than your conventional brutal death metal album, for it expertly inserted capital Floridian riffs into the generally insipid brutal music of that time and significantly altered its quality and stature. Vile then took an unexpected quantum leap for their sophomore album; shedding a sizeable chunk of brutal influences in favour of a pure death metal sound, Depopulate did indeed alienate their rigid brutal fans, but it proved to be nothing short of a masterstroke. Its thorough riff-oriented music had the brutal and technical aspects melded to a rare perfection, and then congealed to create a solid slab of impermeable music that stoically withstood the test of time. Unfortunately, that Floridian monument has yet to receive its proper due in terms of appreciation, if not admiration.

Vile's third instalment, The New Age of Chaos was obviously a much anticipated one. And while it does not disappoint, it does not surpass their previous output either. The chief reason being their preference for an accessible, commercially viable sound as opposed to pushing the envelope of the sound they had established on Depopulate. This occurrence is comparable to Monstrosity's underrated and technically proficient album Millenium and the highly unoriginal, almost generic sounding one that followed it. It is however another thing that In Dark Purity was an immensely enjoyable and almost a landmark album, which also happens to be the one that is responsible for heavily influencing The New Age of Chaos along with the Polish influences in the form of the death metal era Behemoth. Isolation of Depopulate's influences weren't this easy.

It must however be stressed that in spite of a derivative sound, The New Age of Chaos is still a very potent album. It features eight technically sound and brilliantly composed songs packed with thrilling tempo changes veering off in different directions, and distinct, bulging riffs so great in numbers that you would curse your feeble brain for not being able to remember enough of them, and not the other way around. Like Monstrosity, their full and sonorous sounding Floridian riffs assail you with astonishing force and precision, like large stones flung with impunity by a trained and strong rioting mob of brutes. But instead of transfiguring you into a featureless mass of relishing flesh, Vile feel the need to gloat immoderately with their kingly Behemoth segments nearly each time they leave an impression on you, resulting in a palpable slackening of pace and intensity, and then sometimes to make up for it, unleash sudden heaving stomp parts. While such ostentatious moves are not bad per se, Vile certainly used to be more sincere and diligent. Negating the powerful albeit frigid production are exquisite leads that are admittedly better than ever before. Marc Pattison, an external entity, is responsible for most of these breathtaking, sweet yet ambitious leads, reminiscent of the ones on the Diabolic albums. Through the vocalist's wide mouthed growls are pleasurable, it doesn't remain so when he indulges in characterless phlegmy rasps, prolonged usage of which makes you wince. About the only original feature of The New Age of Chaos is its anti-Islamic lyrics, which are just as inane as the anti-Christian ones, the difference is, Vile are now going to have to be really selective about where they tour, lest their set turns out to be much more explosive than what they bargained for.

This review may sound like a bit of a negative rant by a piqued fan-boy, but it is self-evident if you consider the result of how for pretty much the same reasons, the more saleable Panzerchrist album Room Service was an altogether bigger disappointment - because it was released after a splendid, unpretentious album thats Soul Collector. Fortunately, Vile's transgressor is considerably better than that of Panzerchrist, and it would be unfair on my part to not regard The New Age of Chaos as also an imposing slab of Floridian death metal album in its own right. Their recent unabashed inclination towards a conventional Floridian death metal sound places Vile in the same league as the accomplished scene stalwarts Malevolent Creation, Diabolic and Monstrosity.

July 11th, 2007