MONSTROSITY — Spiritual Apocalypse (review)

MONSTROSITY — Spiritual Apocalypse album cover Album · 2007 · Death Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
3.5/5 ·
UMUR
"Spiritual Apocalypse" is the fifth full-length studio album by US, Florida based death metal act Monstrosity. The album was released through Conquest Music, Inc. in April 2007. It´s the successor to "Rise to Power" from 2003 and features quite a few lineup changes since the predecessor. Guitarists Tony Norman and Sam Molina have both left and new guitarist Mark English handles all guitars on the album. Lead vocalist Jason Avery has been replaced by Mike Hrubovcak (Vile). Only drummer (and band founder) Lee Harrison and bassist Michael Poggione remain from the lineup who recorded "Rise to Power (2003)".

Monstrosity continue to play their brand of US death metal on "Spiritual Apocalypse", but the addition of English to the ranks have a great impact on their sound. The premise is old school US death metal (technically well played), and artists like Cannibal Corpse, Deicide, and Morbid Angel aren´t the worst references. English lead guitar contributions to the music on "Spiritual Apocalypse", provide Monstrosity´s sound with a fierce (yet often melodic tinged) weapon and the often slightly generic/formulaic death metal basis of the music is lifted to a higher state. That´s how much a great guitarist can influence the direction of the music on an album. It´s actually not completely unlike when Ralph Santolla joined Deicide and delivered the many great leads on "The Stench of Redemption (2006)".

New lead vocalist Hrubovcak is a pretty regular low range growling vocalist, who gets the job done, but isn´t particularly distinct sounding. Fortunately the many great lead guitar parts and a slightly more varied and inspired songwriting approach than the case was of the last couple of releases, make "Spiritual Apocalypse" a solid US death metal release and definitely one of the better quality releases in the band´s discography. A 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.
Share this review
more

Review Comments

Post a public comment below | Send private message to the reviewer
Please login to post a shout
No shouts posted yet. Be the first member to do so above!

Review Index

Member Zone

Username:
Password:
Stay signed in

Metal Subgenres

Artists Alpha-index

MMA TOP 5 Metal ALBUMS

Rating by members, ranked by custom algorithm
Albums with 30 ratings and more
Master of Puppets Thrash Metal
METALLICA
Buy this album from our partners
Paranoid Heavy Metal
BLACK SABBATH
Buy this album from our partners
Moving Pictures Hard Rock
RUSH
Buy this album from our partners
Powerslave NWoBHM
IRON MAIDEN
Buy this album from our partners
Rising Heavy Metal
RAINBOW
Buy this album from our partners

New Metal Artists

New Metal Releases

Pure Negative Attitude Hardcore Punk
FREEHOWLING
Buy this album from MMA partners
Inequiem Hardcore Punk
CICADIA
Buy this album from MMA partners
Cemetery Symmetry Hardcore Punk
HUMBLE ABODE
Buy this album from MMA partners
Sadistic Memoirs Of A Psychopath Deathcore
CONSUME THE ASSAILANT
Buy this album from MMA partners
It Wasn't Supposed To Be Like This (Instrumental) Hardcore Punk
PULSES.
Buy this album from MMA partners
More new releases

New Metal Online Videos

Galleons - Electric Emotions
GALLEONS
Bosh66· 8 hours ago
Galleons - Elsewhere (Official Lyric Video)
GALLEONS
Bosh66· 8 hours ago
Galleons - Neon Dreams (Official Lyric Video)
GALLEONS
Bosh66· 8 hours ago
Galleons - I Travel East As Fievel Goes West Pt. 1 - Official Lyric Video
GALLEONS
Bosh66· 8 hours ago
FREEHOWLING - SCARS FT. AARON MATTS (TEN56.) [OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO]
FREEHOWLING
Bosh66· 9 hours ago
More videos

New MMA Metal Forum Topics

More in the forums

New Site interactions

More...

Latest Metal News

members-submitted

More in the forums

Social Media

Follow us
Follow us on Twitter Become a Facebook fan RSS Feed