Idol
Idol makes its complicated music appealing through constant movement. Horrendous switch between heavy riffs, flexible bass lines and melodies which unexpectedly rise above the activity. It takes concentration, but the band keep the songs lively enough to offer more than a series of difficult parts.
After the short opening Prescience, Soothsayer makes that approach clear. Bass and drums give the song a moving foundation while the guitars combine heavy grooves with sharper bursts of aggression. Rough vocals maintain the tension. There is plenty happening, yet the separate elements still pull in the same direction.
The Idolater again allows room for rhythmic details and smaller guitar movements before the band push harder. Devotion (Blood for Ink) develops through several distinct sections. The music becomes lighter and more exploratory, then returns with greater weight. These transitions make Idol more interesting than a record which only tries to become heavier or more technical with every song.
The length of Obolus gives the ending a different scale. It takes more time to find its shape, feeling like a longer passage through changing moods rather than one stretched-out riff. This works within the album, although those many changes mean Idol is not an easy background listen. The amount of activity can also become tiring if a straightforward attack is what you want.
In return, Horrendous never trade death metal's power for polished showmanship. The voices stay sharp, the riffs retain their weight and the rhythm section keeps pushing. Idol works best when that aggression meets the freedom to take a song somewhere unexpected. It is an ambitious album with enough character to inspire more than admiration for the playing alone.
