Fractured Insanity is celebrating its twentieth anniversary!
For the occasion, Stefan Van Bael (bass/vocals), Jeroen Buysse (guitar, Gore Force 5), Dieter Daems (guitar) and Ignace “Hammerman” Verstraete (drums, Darkest Mind, Gotmoor) sign with Xtreem Music and release their fifth album, Age of Manipulation, a few months later.
The band’s first riff is a dissonant one, but Exaltation of a Fallen Glory is a violent, brutal track, and it soon makes that clear. Riffs are fast and impressive, vocals are powerful, the technicality is present in all the instruments, just like on Divide and Conquer, the next track, which makes no secret of its savagery, nor of its risk-taking, as with the leads and hypnotic tapping. We quickly move on to The Hangman’s Lair, which maintains a similar approach, with heavy harmonics complementing the brutal, heavy sound, before Age of Manipulation adds its own touch of rage, with passages that are at times jerky and explode with ease. The track ends almost soothingly, but Bezoar quickly plunges us back into its pure violence, bludgeoning us with double pedal and tortured riffs before moving on to Fear, the Ultimate Weapon, where you can feel the unbridled American influences at work. The rhythm is uncompromising, even in the slow, imposing moments, then Divine Honour breaks the dynamic with explosive moments that again remind me of more massive passages. The dark, mysterious atmosphere of Slumber in the Deep reminds me of a well-known American band that doesn’t hesitate to switch from Doom to Black influences, while Psy-K.O reveals a heavy, unexpected facet of the band’s music. The track is long and indulges in some strange experimentation, but it remains fairly consistent with the darkness of We All Die in the End, which also features waves of uncontrollable fury followed by slow, macabre passages that are truly heavy, even for Death Metal, confirming their Old School roots.
While Fractured Insanity assumes its identity as a Technical Brutal Death Metal band, the group clearly draws inspiration from many more influences. There’s a sense of melody and dissonance here, but Age of Manipulation is very coherent!
85/100