Pure Kaos. No argument.
The legendary Dissection finally return to the public eye in an attempt to reclaim the highly sought-after 'Almighty Death Metal Overlords' throne - and all the spoils that the title bestows upon the recipients. 'Reinkaos' is their first full-length album since 1995's 'Storm of the Light's Bane' and it has taken eleven years and eleven months (freaky...) to bring this one shiny plastic disc to a record shop near you. And it's gonna be their last too. According to the band's official website, Jon Nödtveidt has called time on Dissection, stating that "their work is done", and that is a crying fucking shame because...well..you'll see...
So I guess the four questions on everyone's lips are:
1. Was it worth the wait?
2. Was it worth the jail time?
3. Is it a fitting legacy?
4. Is it worth the vastly inflated cover price that all music shops charge for albums created by heavily-tattooed, muscle-bound black magic/occult-obsessed metal heads from Sweden?
'Reinkaos' is an album that, in Dissection's own words is "the work of Sonic Black Magic" - and lyrically, it's not hard to pick up on that thread. Satanism, the Occult, violence, death and obviously, chaos are all tackled over eleven tracks (like I said...freaky...) of blistering power riffs, frenetic drumming, melodic melodies and ethereal, gutturally roared vocals. Business as usual you might think. But you'd be wrong...
The tracks are slower, the vocals smoother and the production far fatter than Dissection's previous releases and consequently 'Reinkaos' is the album sure to cause the most contention, and indeed division amongst the fanatics. One thing's for sure though: it fucking rocks!
'Nexion 218' opens the disk tenderly enough but you're soon launched through the gates of Hades and straight into the bubbling fire pit of 'Beyond the Horizon' - which again contains lyrical references to the number 11. What is going on here? Maybe in 2006, 11 is the new 666... Anyway, as previously mentioned, Dissection have had their rough edges planed down by a fuller production mix - the guitars weigh in at at least 300 pounds each - and for some, this is gonna be a huge bone of contention, as if it's an indication that Dissection have mellowed in the intervening years since 'Storm Of The Light's Bane'. It shouldn't be - and to be honest, when you consider Nödtveidt's prison sentence, that argument holds as much weight as an anorexic piglet on smack.
Yes it's a different sound - less frenzied, more focussed, more considered and there's a strong case to be made that on 'Reinkaos', Dissection sound more like a classic metal band rather than fire-breathing agenda-setters (I was knocked back by how much it reminded me of early-80s Iron Maiden). But there is no denying that Dissection still have enough blood, guts and chutzpah to rock anyone to a violent death with virtually no effort whatsoever. 'Starless Aeon' and 'Black Dragon' contain some of the greatest metal riffs I've heard in a damn long while - and the latter's opening melodic guitar strum is beautifully realised - as is the stinging mid-section solo. 'Xeper-I-Set' is also possessed with a briskness of pace that should keep dissenters of Dissection 2006 amused for more than a few minutes.
'Reinkaos' itself (the song guys, not the album - get with the programme) is a bizarre inclusion - a rather stately, graceful instrumental that destroys the considerable pace that the previous tracks have racked up - and it would have been better as a bonus track...if you like those kinds of things. Personally, I find it makes adding tracks to my I-Pod immeasurably annoying - do I really want to include eight minutes of total silence just to get a forgettable ditty at the end of it?
As the title suggests 'Chaosphobia' is a gentle preamble to the monolithic 'God of Forbidden Light', a transparent, almost romantic dowry, paid to the altar of Satanism: "Hail Lucifer/Dark Bringer of Light/Hail Lucifer/Giver of Eternal Sight". But as obvious as the lyrics are, it's the riffs and the duelling guitar melodies that make all the difference. As ever, Nödtveidt's axe work is stunning and the enhanced production only serves to highlight this further.
'Internal Fire' is a pretty routine and superbly trounced by the closer, 'Maha Kali'. Again, there are deep shades of Slayer and Maiden on the walls but fuck those guys who argue that they've heard it all before. Die-hard fans will eschew the mid-section female vocals as well but when all's said and done - whenever metal gets this good, it's best to put your rational head in a black sack and hit the mosh pit instead.
'Reinkaos' is an excellent metal album - no doubt - and if you're a fan of more classic metal bands, you'll think it their best. The only niggling feeling left in Dissection's wake is that everyone was expecting something exponentially awesome - a genre-crunching, ear-shredding, eyeball-popping tombstone of album. As good as 'Reinkaos' is, it ain't that.
And so to answer the four questions I posed at the start of this review: 1. Yes it was worth the wait. 2. Yes it was worth the jail time. 3. To be honest, it probably isn't. Yes, it IS a great album, but there's no denying that it's more generic in tone and execution - and perhaps even a little more safe than the riotous 'Storm of the Light's Bane' and 'The Somberlain'. And 4...Of course it fucking is - though I'll bet if Dissection had anything to say about it, they'd tell you to nick it instead...CHAOS RULES...