Morbid Angel
Gateways to Annihilation (2000)
Earache
Preceded by: Formulas Fatal to the Flesh (1997). Succeeded by: Heretic (2003).
It's difficult to say that something from the metal underground is "forgotten," because, let's face it, most of the all-time classic metal albums, barring any Metallica, Maiden, Priest, Sabbath, AC/DC, etc. aren't even remembered by most mainstream music outlets in the first place. I can't think of too many mainstream music fans who own a copy of At the Gates' Slaughter of the Soul; however, that album is almost universally praised among metal fans who know anything about the genres. In this sense, it was difficult to come up with something that's a "Forgotten Record" from the metal underground, but I think I found a good example.
Morbid Angel have released their share of albums that are considered death metal classics, specifically their first 3 releases, Altars of Madness, Blessed Are the Sick, and Covenant (and yes, they have continued the alphabetical trend of naming their albums ever since, leading up to 2003's Heretic, their last release). These albums are some of the most influential in the entire death metal canon, as they combined the speed and intensity of Slayer with the evil, creepy harmonies of Mercyful Fate/King Diamond, and their lyrics were mostly about Satan and evil spells, at first. Once 1995's Domination was released, the band took on a bit of a more streamlined, basic approach, which took some fans by surprise. They returned to the intense speed and brutality of earlier works with 1997's Formulas Fatal to the Flesh, their first album with vocalist/bassist Steve Tucker. This album is considered a bit of a classic among die-hard Morbid Angel fans, so this is hard to consider a forgotten record. Its follow-up, Gateways to Annihilation, however, is rarely mentioned as one of Morbid Angel's greatest albums, something I take issue with.
Why was it forgotten?
Maybe it's because of the slowed-down tempos, or the clean-to-the-point-of-sounding-electronic drum tones, or because of the length of the songs, but I've never understood why any Morbid Angel (or death metal fans, in general) wouldn't like Gateways to Annihilation. Opening with the all-too-standard-in-metal ambient track, "Kawazu," Gateways is the first Morbid Angel album that doesn't open with crazy guitar riffing right off the bat. Normally I hate any sort of ambient or intro track, but on this album, its ominous tone really helps set the mood for what's to come. As soon as the first proper track, "Summoning Redemption" starts, it jumps right out of the speakers and assaults the listener unexpectedly. This song is a mid-paced, groovy death metal track, with insanely precise tremolo picking by guitarists Erik Rutan and Trey Azagthoth. I can't express how much I love the opening riffs in this song before the vocals kick in. They are melodic, atmospheric, yet crushing all at once, mainly due to Pete Sandoval's always-impressive drumming.
When Steve Tucker screams "I stand before you!", it's frightening how clear, audible, yet intense his vocals are. His work on this album is completely underrated, in my opinion, as he manages to get across the power that great death metal vocalists need, and also the clarity to understand what he's saying on every track. I haven't even gotten to the solos in this song, probably the most melodic solo laid down by Erik Rutan, followed by the typically crazy, Eddie Van Halen-on crack Azagthoth guitar work. The song is a bit long, at 7:16, but its constant twists and turns are rewarding, and yet it has a very simple, memorable song structure, with lots of repeating riffs and refrains. This is probably my second favorite Morbid Angel song, second only to "Rapture" from Covenant.
There really isn't a bad song on this album, but my favorites have to be "Summoning Redemption," "Ageless, Still I Am," and "Secured Limitations," which is a vocal duet between Tucker and Azagthoth, both delivering absolutely sick, clear vocals that go well with the song's stop-start groove. One thing I love about this album is that it maintains a consistent vibe and groove throughout. Some might find it repetitive, but I find the mid-paced numbers really give the riffs and vocals a lot of room to breathe, as well as create a lot of atmosphere that you didn't always find throughout a Morbid Angel album. There are still some signature speedy Sandoval blast-beat parts, but far less than any other Morbid Angel album.
Should it be forgotten?
Definitely not. However, having listened to this album all the way through for the purpose of writing this piece, I do now understand more why a lot of Morbid Angel fans don't appreciate it. For one thing, it doesn't sound like a typical MA release, but it does definitely sound like Morbid Angel. Trey Azagthoth's guitar work is instantly recognizable, no matter how fast or long the songs may be. I think this album is the heaviest album in the Morbid Angel catalogue, next to Covenant, and it's definitely worth re-investigating if you're a fan of Morbid Angel, or truly heavy metal in general.
I'm sure the fact that this was only the second Morbid Angel album I owned (Domination was the first) made me able to appreciate this album in its own right, and not within the context of their classic sound and catalogue. I thought that maybe I'd now dislike this album, having delved deep into their back catalogue, but I still think it's one of their best releases. I understand why it was disregarded by the MA fan base at the time, and now that original vocalist/bassist David Vincent is back in the band, I can’t see MA playing any of these songs live anymore, and that’s a shame. This album will continue to get lost in the shuffle, but it definitely should not.
A-
Matt Steele
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