ANNOTATIONS OF AN AUTOPSY

Much better! I had no anticipatory thoughts about ANNOTATIONS OF AN AUTOPSY's "II: The Reign of Darkness", as a result of my impression of the British death metal band after reviewing "Before the Throne of Infection". I found the Siege of Amida/Candlelight release to be more than tolerable from the standpoint of aggression and its occasional flicker of creative light, but found the songwriting lackluster and the down-tuned, modern death/grind delivery to be indistinct. I suspected the act's Nuclear Blast debut might little more than a step in the right direction, but in no way did I expect this kind of level jump.

The Nuclear Blast signing, time spent honing its craft or, more than likely, a combination of both, must have lit a fire under the group's collective ass because on "II: The Reign of Darkness" the arrangements are thoroughly developed and much more individually memorable, while the sound in general is one of confidence and cohesion. Interestingly enough, the album comes off as much more of a traditional, albeit still modern, death metal release than anything associated with the new breed of down-tuned style mixers. The incorporation of backing shouts on tracks like standout "Bone Crown" is the only thing that could be even remotely associated with a 'core element, and even then that is probably an unfair characterization. More importantly, those backing vocals are but one of many elements making "Bone Crown" and several other tracks so much more memorable. The invigorated approach is typified by the smart mix of tempos and, in the case of "Bone Crown", changeups from standard — and also more intelligible this time around — growl patterns to staccato surges. The grooves are sicker and the riff serration deadlier too, as demonstrated by the string-bent churns of "Impale the Sun", a song that showcases the act's now firm grasp of the tempo turn. The ominous melodic leads are distinguishing factors across the album as well. Even the smaller tweaks and touches, such as moody interlude/instrumental "VII: The Horror, The Destruction" and those creepy whispered sections of "Emptiness" add value.

So shame on me for counting out ANNOTATIONS OF AN AUTOPSY. Credit is due the band for crushing mediocrity into bone dust, regardless of the fact that wheel reinvention hasn't come close to occurring. Compared to "Before the Throne of Infection", the new album is a vast improvement on every level. As a modern death metal album in its own right, "II: The Reign of Darkness" is a damn solid effort.