RECIPROCAL
“NEW ORDER OF THE AGES”
LACERATED ENEMY RECORDS
It’s interesting how some thing change, some things don’t and some just adapt. Much like
those in history who have outlived mass extinctions, RECIPROCAL pick up the gauntlet
of old Thrash Metal protest songs by the likes of NUCLEAR ASSAULT and SACRED
REICH and give them a much more modern and much more serious look. While the songs
about all that is wrong with the government and authority (and the unfair nature of life in
the modern age) of the days of old had a more comical edge (see “Surf Nicaragua" or
“Butt Fuck”) only to later be dismissed by Black Metal as “Life Metal”. RECIPROCAL
take the “protest song” (for lack of a more complete description) to new depths. Perhaps
this new age of seemingly more serious and insidious problems needed a considerably less
naïve approach. Songs like “New American Century”, “Profit Before Protocol”, "Esoteric
Agenda”, “Tyrannicide” and the title track, well the titles speak for themselves. Giving
new life (or I should say DEATH) to a formerly dismissed form of lyricism. Adding a
much more fitting, sinister paranoia for a much more paranoid and fearful world. Formed
in 2007, Hollywood, California’s RECIPROCAL are a four piece who on this, their
second full length (following 2009’s self titled album) have had “NEW ORDER OF THE
AGES” released on CD and digipack by LACERATED ENEMY RECORDS in 2014
after having it digitally released, independently, in 2013. Musically, and I know I say this
a lot, WATCHTOWER’s “Energetic Disassembly” is ALL over the place,
instrumentally. Before Burt had asked me to do these reviews, it had been a little bit of
time since I last indulged in the highly technical edge of brutal Death Metal (usually
opting for the more simplistic Black / Death Metal end of the spectrum). Considering
bands like CYNIC, ATHEIST and DEATH / CONTROLLED DENIED, were fans of
the WATCHTOWER style, it really shouldn't surprise me. RECIPROCAL take latter
day DEATH and move it to an even more technical range. However the late, great Chuck
Schuldiner’s guitar work from “The Sound of Perseverance” is all here with enough
arpeggios and blister-inducing solos to make even Yngwie blush. These references to the
more extreme end of the technical meter aren't without basis either. Bass player Jeff
Hughell is and has played with the likes of VILE, BRAIN DRILL, MUCUS
MEMBRANE and RINGS OF SATURN. It's pretty obvious what these guys listen to
when they get together and it's reflected in this album’s tight execution, having enough of
the more conventional musicality to even keep this reviewer’s aforementioned, less
technically-refined musical palate. Absolutely a recommendable feast for fans of
DEATH's 1990s material and those beyond that in the continuum DEATH was headed to
when their tenure was tragically cut short. Also a nice post-mortem punch in the head to
Euronymous and those who grouped any band not singing about Satanic orthodoxy as
“Life Metal”!!!
www.RECIPROCALhate.com
- Reviewed by Keith Dempe
“NEW ORDER OF THE AGES”
LACERATED ENEMY RECORDS
It’s interesting how some thing change, some things don’t and some just adapt. Much like
those in history who have outlived mass extinctions, RECIPROCAL pick up the gauntlet
of old Thrash Metal protest songs by the likes of NUCLEAR ASSAULT and SACRED
REICH and give them a much more modern and much more serious look. While the songs
about all that is wrong with the government and authority (and the unfair nature of life in
the modern age) of the days of old had a more comical edge (see “Surf Nicaragua" or
“Butt Fuck”) only to later be dismissed by Black Metal as “Life Metal”. RECIPROCAL
take the “protest song” (for lack of a more complete description) to new depths. Perhaps
this new age of seemingly more serious and insidious problems needed a considerably less
naïve approach. Songs like “New American Century”, “Profit Before Protocol”, "Esoteric
Agenda”, “Tyrannicide” and the title track, well the titles speak for themselves. Giving
new life (or I should say DEATH) to a formerly dismissed form of lyricism. Adding a
much more fitting, sinister paranoia for a much more paranoid and fearful world. Formed
in 2007, Hollywood, California’s RECIPROCAL are a four piece who on this, their
second full length (following 2009’s self titled album) have had “NEW ORDER OF THE
AGES” released on CD and digipack by LACERATED ENEMY RECORDS in 2014
after having it digitally released, independently, in 2013. Musically, and I know I say this
a lot, WATCHTOWER’s “Energetic Disassembly” is ALL over the place,
instrumentally. Before Burt had asked me to do these reviews, it had been a little bit of
time since I last indulged in the highly technical edge of brutal Death Metal (usually
opting for the more simplistic Black / Death Metal end of the spectrum). Considering
bands like CYNIC, ATHEIST and DEATH / CONTROLLED DENIED, were fans of
the WATCHTOWER style, it really shouldn't surprise me. RECIPROCAL take latter
day DEATH and move it to an even more technical range. However the late, great Chuck
Schuldiner’s guitar work from “The Sound of Perseverance” is all here with enough
arpeggios and blister-inducing solos to make even Yngwie blush. These references to the
more extreme end of the technical meter aren't without basis either. Bass player Jeff
Hughell is and has played with the likes of VILE, BRAIN DRILL, MUCUS
MEMBRANE and RINGS OF SATURN. It's pretty obvious what these guys listen to
when they get together and it's reflected in this album’s tight execution, having enough of
the more conventional musicality to even keep this reviewer’s aforementioned, less
technically-refined musical palate. Absolutely a recommendable feast for fans of
DEATH's 1990s material and those beyond that in the continuum DEATH was headed to
when their tenure was tragically cut short. Also a nice post-mortem punch in the head to
Euronymous and those who grouped any band not singing about Satanic orthodoxy as
“Life Metal”!!!
www.RECIPROCALhate.com
- Reviewed by Keith Dempe
