Vile - The New Age of Chaos
Unique Leader Records
Blackened Death Metal
9 songs (30'04")
Release year: 2005
Vile, Unique Leader Records
Reviewed by Alex

As the president of a small company I face risk taking everyday. To abandon a familiar path is not an easy thing to do. The end result can be rewarding or it might as well bury you. I imagine with music artists it is very much the same, as the fickle crowd can level the “this has been done before” charge just as easy as “they have abandoned the roots”. In this regard I see new Vile album The New Age of Chaos as a risk, as their personal venture into some new uncharted territories.

I am a sucker to a black – death crossover and those who have read my reviews probably know that. It could be a generalization, but while formerly strictly black metal European hordes seek the power of the defined death metal riff (Behemoth, Crionics, 1349), American death metal crews start blending layered melodies with a rhythmic punch.

In a span of a short album Vile proceeded to completely change my opinion of them. I admit to not owning their previous album Depopulate. Upon hearing just a few clips I thought that I do not need to have another version of Cannibal Corpse on my CD shelf. The New Age of Chaos, however, represents the newer breed of American death metal, not afraid of adding a helping of melody to a trademark Morbid Angel twist and Cannibal Corpse groove. Brutality of the album does not only exist for the brutality’s sake, for every blastbeat there is a tuneful moment. Colin Davis’ guitars are a harmonized wasp swarm. On the opener Devour he gets away replacing the solo with some interesting angry guitar barbs, while elsewhere Marc Pattison and JJ Hrubovcak contribute with solos that simply shred (Sentenced to Live) or reflect the Middle Eastern anger (Deafening Silence). Guitars attack the listener from all conceivable planes and angles, creating unorthodox and unnerving atmosphere. As a whole The New Age of Chaos is definitely an angry and moody album, and, interestingly enough, that feeling is projected mostly through its harmonic, not brutal, moments. Sentenced to Live, as an individual song, probably possesses the most menace and determination incorporating memorable blasting melody and steady booming war metal outro.

Jack Gibson (Exodus) is present not in name only. When you get a chance to get a good player you might as well use him – good logic – and the bass lines appear to be very prominent on Deafening Silence and Suicide Warfare. Recording drummer Tyson Jupin’s drums are probably triggered which is almost unavoidable, but placed not too high in the mix to overwhelm. One of the biggest surprises is the progress of Juan Urteaga on vocals. Gone is monotonous dry death metal growl. The man is trying to actually sing his growls along and throws in blackened high pitches giving the album necessary dual characteristics.

Kataklysm and Council of the Fallen come to mind when I hear The New Age of Chaos. Vile is not as heavy as the former and the Quebecois write simple riffs which are impossible to forget. Council of the Fallen, to me, is probably one of the best young American bands rivaling Nile and Hate Eternal. Their Deciphering the Soul is more technical and twisted than The New Age of Chaos and they use two distinctly different vocalists.

Another risk Vile takes is with their lyrical concept. We are not living in a social and political void, and Vile recognizes that bringing up controversial issues of Iraq war, fanaticism of fundamentalist Islam, suicide bombings, decapitating executions and world terror. The album may not be a concept one, but there is a single unmistakable thread running throughout The New Age of Chaos.

One of the better qualities of the album is that I keep discovering cool moments in it that I have previously missed. Just today, giving the disc another spin, I have spotted things in the title track and Suicide Warfare I did not notice before. Short and devoid of fat, the album is definitely a grower giving an “out of the box” tag the whole new meaning.

Killing Songs :
Devour, Deafening Silence, The New Age of Chaos, Sentenced to Live
Alex quoted 87 / 100
Dylan quoted 89 / 100
Other albums by Vile that we have reviewed:
Vile - Depopulate reviewed by Jack and quoted 60 / 100
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