For fans of: Opeth / Behemoth / Edge of Sanity
Akercocke is a progressive blackened Death Metal band hailing from England. The band is one of the most original in Metal today, combining elements of Black, Death and Progressive Metal to create something very unique. Akercocke make use of the full frequency range, using the low grunts of Death Metal and the high squeals of Black Metal, with soft intersections associated with Progressive Rock. Akercocke’s music has no boundaries, although the majority of the lyrics draw inspiration from Satanism and sex. Many of the band’s actions and lyrics have faced them with widespread controversy and criticism from Christian groups that fail to get the joke. Anyone that pisses Christians off as much as this band, undoubtedly deserve an award.
Words That Go Unspoken, Deeds That Go Undone is the Akercocke’s fourth album, released in 2005 by Earache Records. It also marks the first album to feature Matt Wilcock (ex The Berzerker), instead of Paul Scanlan on guitar.
Read on to see my review of the album.
Akercocke – Words That Go Unspoken, Deeds That Go Undone (2005)
Album opener, Verdelet is heavy as fuck. Within just 4 minutes and 46 seconds, vocalist Jason Mendonca manages to fit everything from Death Metal grunts, high screeches to eerie clean vocals over impressive Death Metal instrumentation. Verdelet perfectly sets the scene for the rest of the album.
Second track, Seduced, ups the ante, being even heavier than the previous track. The listener is greeted by intense growls and a barrage of low riffs and blasting drums. Not before long though, the vocals shift into gothic clean vocals building up to more immense screams.
The shorter tracks like Verdelet and Seduced are fantastic, but the real testament to Akercocke’s skill is the ten minute 40 second opus, Shelter from the Sand. The song starts by continuing the heaviness set by the first two tracks, but the mood shifts by one and a half minutes, and the song slows down with gothic clean vocals being brought to the forefront. By the time the song reaches the six minute mark though, the song breaks down into melodic piano passages, with fantastic singing by Jason. The guitars gently work their way into the track, interlacing with the piano part. The song shifts, with delayed electronic effects being brought into the forefront of the track, before descending into a heavy finale for the track.
The fourth track, Eyes of the Dawn, is another fantastic heavy Death Metal track, in a similar style to second track Seduced.
The fifth track is an interlude that leads into the sixth track that is also the title track of the album. The song is one of the most original on the album, with a bizarre start. The track also starts as one of the slowest on the album. The vocals for the most part are melodic, but by the half way mark, the song reaches its peak and the vocals shift into Death Metal growls. Again like, Shelter from the Sand, Akercocke display a wide variety of sounds highlighting the band’s talents and eagerness to experiment.
The three tracks that come after continue more of Akercocke’s dark but imaginative sound, but it is the tenth and final that really pushes the band into a different path. The track is noticeable for containing various different instruments, including horns, cellos and acoustic guitars. The track also highlights Jason’s wide ranges as a vocalist, but also the band’s ranges as musicians. The song is a slow melodic track and serves as a fitting conclusion to the album.
Final Verdict: Fantastic
9/10
