In Greece, at least back in the 80s and 90s, there wasn’t much of Progressive metal and its derivative subgenres. No wonder why ACID DEATH were overlooked (best case scenario) or shunned for being different than the rest! That’s what lead to their split up in 2001 after “Randoms’ Manifest” (2001). If we where to shortly describe the musical direction of Acid Death, that’d include the old school of technical Death metal, Death, Atheist, Pestilence and modern bands in the vein of Gojira and Meshuggah. The latter influences are made evident in the reunion album “Eidolon” (2012), which brought the band back to live shows!
A reversed sound intro (“Hell’s Maw”) brings us “Mental Slime”, a midtempo headbanging track with some fast nlasting outbreaks, taking off exactly where “Eidolon” left us, including great solos and some samples adding their own little something to the mix! A song dealing with the mental decay of man lyric-wise. “Truth Revealed” is more of a old school Death metal song, more Dark Angel-esque riffage and none other than Nick Melissourgos (Suicidal Angels) ripping through! Perfect for live shows, lyrically addressing the issue of a serial killer, hence the overall straightforwardness and aggression. “Life And Death” is a more philosophical song lyrically, revolving around the idea of the title, with more of the melodic and progressive elements of Acid Death taking over in addition to the melodic vocals of Jon Soti (Floating Worlds), without sacrificing the aggression of the bands’ signature sound!
A more ambient intro follows on “The Unfair Fight” with one of my favorite choruses of the album, melodic yet aggressive, with the trademark twist and turns of an Acid Death song! This song deals with soldiers going into battle, without feeling right about it, yet being forced to follow orders. The Meshuggah influence kicks in on the title track, grooving its way throughout, with Manthos Stergiou (Tardive Dyskinesia), in a song dealing with paranoia, a person staring into different reflections of his/her own self. “Taste Of The Erratic”, this next title is somewhat self-explanatory, a person being so erratic and begging to be given the chance to be understood. On this midtempo track with fast outbreaks we have the guest vocals of Iliana Tsakiraki (Enemy Of Reality, ex-Meden Agan) and Nadja V. filling the chorus beautifully.
The Morbid Angel-like riffage of “Ghostship” comes up next with some atmospheric parts, lyrically dealing with a persons’ isolation from society and living in a fictional world of its own. Things get more aggressive on “Planes Of The Eternal Dead” and so do the lyrics, dealing with a different aspect of the Dark Lord: a entity with human weaknesses who is damned to reign in darkness for all time. A beautiful 6-minute-epic with lots of tempo changes, my favorite solo battle on the record and an amazing chorus! The closing track “Supreme Act Of Heroism” addresses the most important issue of our times: making the difference in this world.
Acid Death with this record really managed to bring a new balance to their sound, adding more elements to their sound and evolving with the times! As a Greek metalhead, I can’t help but feel proud for them. HAIL!
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