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Atlantis (2004) Napalm Records HMM Rank:  
Atrocity definitely has plenty to offer with what I believe is their latest (concept) album, Atlantis. I'm really facing some serious writers block right now trying to figure out how to give a good description of the band's sound, but defying the laws of classification seems to come very naturally to them. They bring all sorts of influences to the table and display spectacular variety in their music, yet none of it sounds forced. Everything has a very natural flow to it, and transitions between growls and clean vocals as well as fast thrash metal and atmospheric goth/black metal are all very smooth. The keyboards add a very creative twist to the music, giving it an almost viking metal/battle anthem type feel to it. They give the music a certain flare that brings to mind the heavier moments of Therion's Lemuria. However, the slower, more groove oriented riffs usually remind me of Chaos A.D.-era Sepultura. Plenty of clean vocals also add new dimensions to the music, causing some moments to dodge past the "Metal" classification. Normally a death metal band takes a big risk when adding clean vocals into the mix, and sometimes they are done so poorly that it ruins the whole song. I'm not saying that this guy is the next Daniel Gildenlow, but his clean vocals are at least tolerable, and sometimes even enjoyable. There is also plenty of evil to go around in his growls as well. Liv Kristine (Leaves Eyes, ex-Theatre Of Tragedy) also adds some guest vocals throughout the album (which really justifies the Therion comparison I made earlier). On to the songs. With this release, Atrocity treats us to 15 tracks that tell the story of Atlantis and the Golden Age. The opener, "Reich Of Phenomena", is a heavy, catchy number that acts as a great attention grabber and was a smart choice for an opening track. They continue in the same vein with "Superior Race", which is heavy, atmospheric, and memorable. The third song, "Gods Of Nations", is where you'll most likely notice the Sepultura influence I mentioned earlier, save for the clean vocal chorus (which is very well done, by the way). "Atlantean Empire" has a very similar feel as well. Another stand out track is "Cold Black Days", which has a very Dark Tranquility laden intro that eventually leads into a very catchy, clean vocal driven verse and chorus. "The Sunken Paradise" is also a stand out track when it comes to clean vocal highlights. On the heavier side of things, "Apocalypse" and "Clash Of The Titans" will surely be the cause of a few mosh pits during live performances. The album also features a video clip of "Cold Black Days", which I will most likely never view (my computer and video files don't get along too well). After doing a little research, I found out that this band has been on the scene for a pretty decent amount of time now, and this album has definitely impressed me enough to where I might just do a little shopping around in their back catalogue. I would certainly suggest this album to anyone who enjoys melodic, atmospheric death/black metal who doesn't mind clean vocals (if you're not into clean vocals, this disc probably has enough to ruin the experience for you). Even though this is my first time listening to Atrocity, they come off as the kind of band who changes their sound with each album, and is constantly adding new elements to their music. If my assumption is correct, then the future of Atrocity will most likely be very interesting, and I hope I'll have the pleasure of hearing it.
Reviewed 02/22/2005
Official Atrocity Website
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