Year: 2021
Total Time: 50:27
Label: Nuclear Blast
HYPOCRISY’s return has been the ardent desire of the band’s fans in recent years, something that Peter Tägtgren did not share, as he was busy with his other projects, having put the band on ice. So, his announcement a year ago about HYPOCRISY’s comeback spread joy and sadness at the same time, as he revealed that the new album will be the last one. Of course, this was also said in 1996, with “The Final Chapter”, but I think we all understood that this time he meant it. So, eight years after “End of Disclosure”, the time has finally come for the band to release their twelfth album, entitled “Worship”.
The album starts with the title track, which along with “Another Day” are the most aggressive and fast songs of the album, as mid-tempo speeds prevail in the album. Therefore,”Chemical Whore”, “We’re the Walking Dead”, “Children of the Gray” and “Bug in the Net”, which move in slow Death/Doom rhythms, with volume and melodies, might be quality songs, but at the same time they are quite predictable without any surprises, and definitely not something we haven’t heard from HYPOCRISY before. “Brotherhood of the Serpent” flirts with MORBID ANGEL influences, while “Greedy Bastards”, “Gods of the Underground” and “Another Day” stand out for their groove and haunting melodies. “Dead World”, which was written by Peter Tägtgren’s son, is a completely indifferent composition that is closer to Nu-Metal than to the sound of HYPOCRISY. Regarding the themes of “Worship”, Peter deals with his well-known and favorite topics such as aliens, experiments and conspiracy theories, as one can easily understand by looking at the beautiful cover, while the production of the album is once again impeccable.
In “Worship”, Peter Tägtgren follows the beaten path, which also offers him an excellent security, offering us a remarkable album of Μelodic Death Metal but without blowing our minds. Maybe his involvement with other projects affected him and he didn’t have the same interest for this particular sound, as after eight years of absence he should have offered us something even better. The album sounds pleasant and will surely satisfy the hardcore fans of the band, but from a musician like Peter Tägtgren we have higher demands. So, after thirty years of a career and twelve albums, HYPOCRISY dropped the curtain with “Worship” and the only sure thing is that they will be missed …
Rating: 7/10
Editor: Nikos Manousis
Related Link: HYPOCRISY – Facebook Page
