Author: Primož Novak
Artist: Revocation
Label: Metal Blade Records
Release: year_month
Running time: 45:07
Rating: 4/5
There’s definitely a lot going on in the Revocation camp. The band tours a ton, is constantly working on new material, and every now and then swaps out a member. Last year long-time drummer Phil Dubois-Coyne left Revocation, a guy who gave the band a certain something with his style. Even though extreme drummers are a dime a dozen these days, finding a new one who can play both technical and fast doesn’t happen overnight. Luckily, the band landed the experienced Ash Pearson, who previously played in 3 Inches of Blood. Judging by the style of his old band, it was hard to know what to expect from him. Pearson played a few shows with the band and turned out to be a seriously capable drummer. So Revocation got the green light to write and record new material.
Great Is Our Sin, the band’s sixth album, is their first concept album. The concept comes through more in the lyrics than in the music itself. David Davidson looked at the stupid things humans do, with a nod to Charles Darwin along the way.
The album kicks off with Arbitrers of the Apocalypse, a great thrash-flavored track full of energy and aggression. Somewhere near the end Pearson gets room for a solo spot, where he proves he’s got no shortage of imagination either. That puts any doubts about the drummer swap to rest. The album really starts to develop with Monolithic Ignorance and Crumbling Imperium, where it’s no longer just fast thrash/death metal up front, and layering in extra nuances gives the record more variety. It’s pretty obvious here that Revocation want to show off their more progressive side too, though that’s nothing new for the band. To make sure there aren’t too many slow tracks, they make up for it with the brutal and technical Communion. They then show off their technical chops with the instrumental The Exaltation. Profanum Vulgus once again shows the band in a more progressive light, with clean vocals used in the calmer section. Revocation like to experiment from time to time, sometimes adding an extra instrument, other times clean vocals. After that Revocation serve up two more fast, hard-hitting tracks, then wrap things up with the calmer Cleaving Giants of Ice, which has a melodic, atmospheric chorus, and Davidson once again tries his hand at a bit of singing. As a bonus, the band tips its hat to Slayer with a cover of Altar of Sacrifice.
Great Is Our sin will undoubtedly satisfy the fans. It’s aggressive and technical enough, packed with virtuoso soloing and outstanding drumming. The progressive touches make the whole thing a little more unpredictable.
Revocation’s sixth album proves the band’s ambition is still going strong. It can drag at times, but a curveball in the form of a fast track is never far off, and that’s how the band keeps the record’s dynamics alive. Revocation have plenty of room to maneuver going forward, but it probably wouldn’t hurt to take a bit more time.
Lineup
David Davidson – guitar, vocals
Dan Gargiulo – guitar, vocals
Brett Bamberger – bass, vocals
Ash Pearson – drums
Production
Revocation, Zeuss
Tracklist
1. Arbiters of The Apocalypse
2. Theatre of Horror
3. Monolithic Ignorance
4. Crumbling Imperium
5. Communion
6. The Exaltation
7. Profanum Vulgus
8. Copernican Heresy
9. Only the Spineless Survive
10. Cleaving Giants of Ice
11. Altar Of Sacrifice (cover of Slayer)
