UMUR
"Bleeding the False" is the debut full-length studio album by Swedish death metal act Aeon. The album was released through Unique Leader Records in September 2005. Aeon formed in 1999 after Defaced Creation disbanded (after releasing quite a few minor releases and their debut full-length studio album "Serenity in Chaos" (1999)). No less than four members of Defaced Creation formed Aeon and only guitarist Morgan Nordbakk hadn´t been involved with that band. Aeon released the "Dark Order" EP in 2001 and since that release there have been two lineup changes as Nordbakk has been replaced by Daniel Dlimi and drummer Arttu Malki has been replaced by Nils Fjellström.
Stylistically the material on "Bleeding the False" is a continuation of the brutal and technically well played death metal style of the "Dark Order" (2001) EP. It´s an early 90s influenced death metal style which shares many similarities to some of the artists on the Florida scene. There´s a slight Morbid Angel influence there from time to time (listen to how "Forever Nailed" opens), but it´s definitely Deicide who is the greatest influence on Aeon. The powerful brutal riffs, the pummeling precision drumming, and the deep intelligible growling vocals delivering blasphemous/anti-christian lyrics. It´s all there and accounted for.
Unfortunately the lyrics are even more awful than Deicide when they are worst. I have nothing against blasphemous/anti-christian lyrics if they are intelligent and bring valid criticism, but these lyrics are just meant to shock and provoke. Again that´s not always an issue, but the lyrics on "Bleeding the False" are so juvenile that only a kindergarden kid would find them offensive. Songtitles like "Biblewhore" and "God Gives Head in Heaven" speak louder than words and I´m definitely not going to quote the absolutely ridiculous homophobic lyrics of the latter. Suffice to say the quality of the lyrics don´t do the otherwise strong material justice. This is one of the few cases where I would actually wish for an unintelligible growling vocalist.
...and it really is a shame Aeon chose a lyric approach like that, because there are some killer riffs and brutal moments on the album and actually some pretty hook laden and intelligible growling vocal sections too. "Bleeding the False" also features a powerful, brutal, and detailed sound production and the musical performances are all on a high level. So upon conclusion everything else but the lyrics are high quality US influenced death metal and fans of the early 90s Florida sound are adviced to take notice. I´m tempted to rate low because the lyrics do ruin the listening experience for me, but I´ll take a more objective stance and therefore a 3.5 star (70%) rating isn´t all wrong.