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.