DICHOTOMY

My brother bought this CD when I took him to the local record store and I, feeling generous on this particular occasion allowed him to put the disc into my CD player for the ride home. Never before in my life have I felt something so close to aural rape that I could actually use it to describe what happened to me on that day. Friends, I have endured this trauma and I am now finally prepared to talk about it.

I come before you today, my dear readers, still trying to sort out everything in the aftermath of an assault so brutal and cruel that only a broad word like "evil" can describe it. Dichotomy may be the most evil-sounding album I have ever heard. It has no soul, it has no mind, it is just pure evil! And from a supposedly Christian band, no less. This band has the audacity to make a death metal rendition of "How Great Thou Art" bearing no musical resemblance to the famous hymn whatsoever with vocals that sound like a legion of demons. A mockery, this is not; the band is totally serious. It's not even that I am offended by this. Simply put, the band desecrated a timeless hymn that (I assume) they themselves hold dear in their hearts. It's appalling, really.

Taking a look at this album as a whole, I really don't know what to make of it lyrically. They seem to have put some though into them, but the means by which they try to deliver their message is terribly flawed. The vocals throughout are akin to a legion of demons, I swear to it. The vocals are occasionally sung, but they have no soul. No soul. There is a soul-shaped void in the vocals. Similarly, the music has no soul either. They play bludgeoning death metal with an average of one piano interlude per song that seems to have no connection with the rest of the song. How did this band get on this website anyhow? It certainly isn't because of this record. I'll be honest, I'm only vaguely familiar with the bands previous two records (neither has intrigued me, but on the same token, neither has assailed me so).

Also of note is that zany-brainy music person Devin Townsend produced this thing and has a guest vocal spot on the opening track. Devin's production may have something to do with the darkness and evil surrounding this music, but I would never say that Devy did it intentionally. Besides, the band has the creative control here. Maybe it was the sound system. I don't know, but goodness, I'm in pain.

3.5 really, rough and yet melodic

Becoming the Archetype is young tech/extreme metal band from USA. Dichotomy is their third album and aswell their last one relesed so far from 2008. Very impressed by this band, because this album is in the same time very rough but melodic aswell in musical aproach. Becoming the Archetype playing some melodic death metal combined with prog metal in places, not far from early In Flames or Childern of Bodom but with a more roughfer and growled voice than on those two bands. Musicaly speaking this band kick ass, really, they combined and melted so well the metalic fase with the melodic ones that the resoul is great, in places some acustic guitars interlude great with the rest of the elements. Great band who knows how to manage to come with a good album and very intristing in same time, they are not just another band from this subgenre. Very strong are the choruses and the key arrangements, just listen to the the title track Dichotomy - catchy as hell, melodic death metal of the highest calibre, great guitar parts and cool solos, musichianship is tight and very strong. Someting worth mentioning is that Devin Townsend produce this album and aswell sing some parts on their opening pice - Mountain Of Souls. So a good album, more towards great, but few minor problems appear when I'm talking about this kind of music, sometimes they are to monotonous, but as awhole is great stuff. Recommended to those who enjoy this kind of music, and one of the promising bands around today in extreme music field.

'Dichotomy' - Becoming The Archetype (6/10)

Becoming The Archetype is a band that I have seen glimmers of brilliance in, but they have never managed to really grab my imagination and run with it. 'Terminate Damnation' showed this Atlanta-based metalcore act coming onto the scene full of potential, but their following records have never really lived up to that debut. 'Dichotomy' comes close, and being the second best album from the band, it manages to spark some interest in me even after listening to it. For all of the talent, brilliant ideas and it being produced by one of the most creative minds in metal however, this album only manages to give a decent, rather than an excellent experience.

'Mountain Of Souls' shows the band at their best, going heavy on the riffs, but making sure to include ambiance and detail in the sounds. This may be in no small part due to the production talents of one Devin Townsend, best known for his fronting of Strapping Young Lad, and a keen solo career. He has a line or two of singing in 'Mountain Of Souls', and it really helps to tie Becoming The Archetype in with an artist who I really love, although on their own merits, the band does a great job here as well. It really impresses me that within the course of a single song, the band is able to span from metal to Indian raga music, to a jazzy instrumental break. Unfortunately, this sort of quality pops up only intermittently throughout the rest of this album.

A point of controversy that arises from this band is their Christian leanings and religiously- inclined lyrics. While this does not necessarily mean that the music will be bad (I have a good deal of respect for prog songster Neal Morse, who touches upon his beliefs quite a bit), the Christian overtones in 'Dichotomy' are very poorly disguised, to the point that they are somewhat tasteless. Hearing a grimy breakdown with guttural vocals screaming 'Hallelujah' is laughable at best, and while others in the metal scene may have an even bigger bone to pick with the Christian references, its clear to me that if the band wants to cover such a controversial religious stance in a genre that generally refutes it, they are going to have to be alot more clever about it.

The musicianship here is very good, and I find myself impressed by what Becoming The Archetype has to offer in parts. However, 'Dichotomy' does not give the listener a consistent dose of their greatness, being bogged down by some fairly poignant weaknesses.