Akercock hit and miss with their latest release
In the heaps of identical American metal bands constantly washing up on our shore and the tireless hordes of keyboard-wielding bands being imported from Europe, good quality British metal can sometimes fall by the wayside in terms of grabbing the average metal fans. British death masters Akercocke, although certainly respected by those in the know, are one of the bands who whilst deserving attention have never quite had the spotlight they deserve. With 'Words That Go Unspoken, Deeds That Go Undone' and their new prog-rock influences, hopefully this will be a reversing trend.
Rather than simply offering up the satanic death metal stylings, which I presumed to be getting through hearing the bands past reputation and CDs I had heard, I was surprised to see a softer prog-rock side to the music that was certainly quite interesting and enjoyable. Frontman Jason Mendonca's vocals whilst still offering up genre-fan pleasing grunts and screams also utilise more harmonic and simple styles to great effect. Combined with the guitars provided by Mendonca and Matt Wilcock that switch between frantic thrashing and intricate and complex stylings, as best represented on album highlight 'Seduced', this was musically a much more interesting listen than just 'another' death metal CD. Tracks such 'The Penance' and 'Eyes of the Dawn' fall rather flat and repetitive after the initial listen, storming album opener 'Verdelet' and 'Dying In The Sun' certainly more than make up for this.
However, this album certainly is clever and the dynamic between softer prog-rock soundscapes and traditional death metal blasts is done proficiently if not perfectly. When listening to this album you rather get the sense that in their attempt to be 'clever' and 'interesting' at times Akercocke simple miss the chance to have a good, simple yet memorable song. There are no real handful of songs or even a particular song that is possible to call distinct or a highlight on this album.
On the whole this is an undeniably strong and solid release by Akercocke that should manage to please both older fans and also entice others into their dark fold, and really what more could any band ask for? However, this is only strong and solid, not classic or memorable in any real lasting sense. If you are looking for some quick and fun death metal thrills then 'Words That Go Unspoken, Deeds That Go Undone' is certainly for you.