| Old Man's Child Slaves Of The World |
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 | Tracklist:
01. Slaves Of The World
02. Saviours Of Doom
03. The Crimson Meadows
04. Unholy Foreign Crusade
05. Path Of Destruction
06. The Spawn Of Lost Creation
07. On The Devil's Throne
08. Ferden Mot Fienden's Land
09. Servants Of Satan's Monastery
Release Date: 05/19/2009 | |
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On 2 Lists
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| Summary: Heavier, catchier, more aggressive and without any keyboard overkill. |
Old Man’s Child have been around for quite a while and over that time they’ve managed to incur the hate of many black metal fans. The most blatant reason for this hate is because the band is commonly associated with Dimmu Borgir, Cradle of Filth, Graveworm and other black metal bands that utilize keyboards and slick productions. Of course, these bands also spark heated debates about whether they’re even black metal but that is for a different time. What is certain is that Old Man’s Child probably doesn’t deserve that hate (anymore). Over the course of seven albums, they have continuously progressed away from generic black metal and have steadily progressed towards a sound that is mostly their own. If Vermin was the culmination of that progression than Slaves of the World is its refinement and enhancement.
One of the best things that Vermin did was blend thick, heavy death/thrash riffs into its black metal foundation. These riffs allowed the songs to seamlessly shift between melodic black metal and moments of crunchy heaviness, and that’s still the case here. The difference is that these riffs are now the focal point of each song, and they’re stronger than ever. Galder managed to improve on every facet of these riffs by making them as catchy as they are heavy and also by incorporating the slightest bit of groove into some of them. These death/thrash sections are complimented perfectly by quick breaks into fast-paced melodic black metal that is full of malevolence and speed. It’s these black metal sections that receive most of the keyboard accompaniment, but even at those peak moments the keyboard melodies play nothing more than a support role.
Instead of relying on keyboards to gloss over the complete lack of good ideas (as other bands are known to do), Old Man’s Child actually injects quite a bit of effort into every area of their sound. In order to better compliment the heavier riffs, quite a bit of Galder’s vocals are delivered in a very deep death metal growl that adds much more aggression than they’ve been previously known for. Even his higher-register rasps seem to impart a fullness and aggression that they’ve rarely achieved in the past. In addition to these typical (yet improved) elements, the band has also included little touches that occasionally crop up and provide a quick surprise. These nuances include guitar harmonies, melodic solos, clean guitar implementation and many dynamic shifts. These clever inclusions provide each song with a unique distinction that allows it to have its own personality despite the singular focus on aggression.
Old Man’s Child may have started out as another generic black metal band that relied too much on studio polish and keyboards, but they’ve evolved into so much more. The band’s current sound is built around powerful death/thrash riffs and commanding deep growls that utilize melodic black metal and higher rasps as more of a complimentary element. This is the sound of a band that is continually pushing their own boundaries in an attempt to find an arrangement that sets them apart without alienating their fans. While the arrangement they’ve come to isn’t exactly original, it works very well for them and it is what has allowed them to deliver the strongest album of their career. In the end, though, your enjoyment of this album is going to largely depend on how much you enjoyed Vermin because this is definitely just a refinement of that sound.
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Album Rating: 4.5
This was a pain in the ass to write and I'm not sure why.
Digging: KUKL - Holidays in Europe |
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Album Rating: 3.5
What is certain is that Old Man’s Child probably doesn’t deserve that hate (anymore).
They never did.
In the end, though, your enjoyment of this album is going to largely depend on how much you enjoyed Vermin because this is definitely just a refinement of that sound.
I loved Vermin and now I can't wait to buy this tomorrow.
Excellent review. If you hadn't reviewed this, I would have.
Digging: Pig Destroyer - Prowler in the Yard |
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lololololololol you just digitally shanked LifeFeedsOnLife in the face.
Digging: Orphaned Land - Mabool (The Story of the Three Sons...)
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Album Rating: 4.5
What is certain is that Old Man’s Child probably doesn’t deserve that hate (anymore).
They never did. I don't know. They were pretty boring and generic through "Ill-Natured Spiritual Invasion". "Revelation 666" and "In Defiance" picked things up a lot, but it's only this one and the last one that are really good.lololololololol you just digitally shanked LifeFeedsOnLife in the face. Who? What?
This Message Edited On 05.18.09
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Album Rating: 3.5
Kickass album is kickass. Nice work.
Digging: Rilo Kiley - Under the Blacklight |
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Album Rating: 3.5
I don't know. They were pretty boring and generic through "Ill-Natured Spiritual Invasion". "Revelation 666" and "In Defiance" picked things up a lot,
I can see where you're coming from since you're not really a fan of rawish sounding black metal. Ill-Natured Spiritual Invasion is my least favourite of theirs but Born of the Flickering has some good tunes on it. Glad you reviewed this dude!
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Album Rating: 4.5
Just because I reviewed it doesn't mean you can't or shouldn't.
Yeah, I don't like "raw" black metal but I enjoy stuff like Emperor and early Mayhem (minus the vocals) and they make early OMC albums sound like they were million dollar productions.
This Message Edited On 05.18.09
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Realllyyy??? I gave these guys a spin back in they day and they were painfully only just above average so I've never bothered with them since. Will probably pick this up.
Digging: VOICEsVOICEs - Origins EP
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Album Rating: 4.5
If that day occured any time before 2003 than I'd agree with you completely.
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What is certain is that Old Man’s Child probably doesn’t deserve that hate (anymore).
Old Man's Child has been good for like over ten years dude.
Digging: Krallice - Dimensional Bleedthrough
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Album Rating: 4.5
Meaning what? That they don't deserve the hate that some give them? Ok, that's what that says... but 10 years is pushing it IMO.
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Album Rating: 4
album is awesome. On The Devil's Throne and The Crimson Meadows ftw
Digging: Godspeed You! Black Emperor - F# A# ? |
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If that day occured any time before 2003 than I'd agree with you completely.
It probably was, when I thought Cob, Kalmah and Dimmu Borgir were the height of extreme metal.
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Album Rating: 3.5
Just because I reviewed it doesn't mean you can't or shouldn't.
Acually, you did me a favour by reviewing this. Free's up some time for other reviews on the go ; ).
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Still need to get this.
Digging: Ulver - Bergtatt
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Album Rating: 4
You sure need Hawks, you sure need.
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Yeah I already know I'll love this. Pretty much all of OMC's albums rule.
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Album Rating: 4.5
Yeah, it should go without saying that you're going to rate this a 4 or higher. I'm surprised you haven't already heard it.
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Album Rating: 3.5
Hawks is a slacker.
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Maybe it's about time I listened to the band, I'll try and give this a listen sometime soon. I'll keep my expectations low just in case. Great review Willie.
Digging: Codeine - The White Birch
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