Review of Hypocrisy - Catch 22

While bands proceed through their careers many successful factors need to come into play. Staying in tune to their original sound while still being innovative and progressing forward by delivering the same substance that attracted us in the first place. Seems to be easy enough doesn't it? While this looks great on paper it definitely is not law. Where I find bands that disappoint generally lies when they stray to far from their original agenda of sound. They try way too hard to branch out to enlarge their fan base with at first adding a smaller commercialized sound only to go full blown bastardized two albums or so down the road. (See Soilwork, Machine Head) Where bands always give the excuse that it was a natural progression, a complete copout response I might add. The bottom line is they're trying to make more green, simple. Now for the other part of the spectrum, whereas we demand a band to stay within the realm of their first intentions and they do indeed comply. With album after album sounding exactly like their first. Giving us the easy description of part 2, part 3, etc. (See Slayer & Carnal Forge) Now we bitch and say there is zero progression and why the hell should I buy their new release because it's sounds precisely like the last. At this point wouldn't you say that we are just a fickle bunch of foks? I don't claim to have the fail-safe recipe of answers of what gives a band the notoriety and stay-fast staying power. It is a delicate balance that when achieved creates the bands of the monstrous magnitudes of fortitude that keeps a prick like me happy. In walks Hypocrisy with an appropriate entitled release Catch 22. (All making sence now?) While Peter Tagtgren consistently keeps his plate full with producing amongst his killer Studio the one and only studio Abyss. While still playing and recording with not one but two bands of his own. I do believe he is beginning to see the dollar signs when he closes his eyes at night. For you see while Catch 22 does support the finest of Millennium productions. The music is ridden with the all too familiar, " I want to move units" this time round kind of sound. While the slow inception of the commercialized sound is seeping right into the mix. Obviously Peter is all too aware of this by rights of how he named the album. At this point I am weary of how a next Hypocrisy album will sound. Catch 22 does produce some heavy crush parts though out but I just can't get over the fact that I believe I am listening to the fall of Hypocrisy when I toss this one in. Blame it on my expectations, blame it on my frugal standards. Actually I could give a shit what the fok you blame it on. I do think the 2nd half of 22 does sport the more heavier elements that we have come to love from Hypocrisy, but as a whole I do not foresee this album making a lot of stops through the player. It just doesn't move me in the way that previous Hypocrisy releases have. Bottom Line: I am interested to see how this one will be regarded this time round. I believe there are going to be some serious peaks and valleys in the press market. But fok the press, you need to pick this one up and give it your own dissection because it is indeed worth buying. My beef lies around the staying power and again the bastardization of commercialism.

The first thing you're gonna notice upon the first listen of Catch 22 is that it hardly resembles the extreme quality of albums from this band's past catalog. However, Hypocrisy's newest effort portrays a slightly different brand of quality and it kicks ass. Upon arrival at Diabolic's place a few weeks back I was immediately told by our buddy Brian (and later by Diabolic himself) that this disc had very little to offer, just to find out that the brash judgment set forth on this disc was done after just hearing four songs, possibly five. Maybe it's just me, but I thought it just might be a little early in the game to come to such a conclusion so quickly, so I decided that I'd wait until I received the opportunity to listen for myself before I made any comments regarding the album's overall quality. It is certainly quite possible that my two metal comrades still feel the same way after repeated listening; however, I don't. The two major differences on Catch 22 are the singing and Peter's attempt to strive towards a more commercialized sound. The singing on this album isn't bad in my opinion, and if you've heard the past two albums you're aware that Peter has experimented with more clean vocal melodies on a couple tracks here and there. On Catch 22 the utilization of his cleaner side is predominant and most of the vocals are mixed with a death track underneath. I personally like this style and I think that Peter's choice of vocal melodies meshes perfect with the music's commercialized feel. Hypocrisy has by no means forged into the commercialized catchiness the way Dark Tranquility or his other project Pain have, but they do seem to resemble the direction In Flames and Soilwork have gone with more of a poppy sound. Hey, if In Flames and Soilwork can get away with it unscathed why can't Hypocrisy? This album starts out with one of the two absolute crushers on this disc entitled Don't Judge Me (the other being Turn The Page). Although most of the album is not as chaotically beautiful as the opening track, there are heavy moments in about every song. It's on song three where this album will more than likely throw you for a loop. With an intro consisting of the use of a piano (could be a keyboard with the piano effect), Edge Of Madness is a song that is as radio worthy/listener friendly as anything this band has ever done. Being radio worthy could almost be a bad thing for an underground metal band, but I'm sure it's a direction Peter felt was necessary for the band and I'm along for the ride. What makes these songs work for me is the high powered crush of the guitars. I have said it before and until someone can prove me wrong I'll keep it up: Hypocrisy's guitar sound is heavier than anything I've heard in my 17 years of listening to metal. That's not to say every riff crushes anything I've ever heard, but the sound is thick, crunchy and commands respect. End of story. Even though this album may not live up to the expectations of all fans of Hypocrisy, any fans lost will be doubled by the fans gained by this album. It's not my favorite disc by this Swedish legend (Wacken, Wacken, Wacken...), but it will get plenty of listening time in my various disc players. Favorite Tracks: Don't Judge Me and Turn The Page

Release Details

Hypocrisy

Catch 22

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