Angry Metal Guy<p><a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/yer-metal-is-olde-monstrosity-in-dark-purity/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Yer Metal Is Olde: Monstrosity – In Dark Purity</a></p><p><i>By Maddog</i></p><p>The year is 1999. Valfar is alive, but Billie Eilish is not. Yours truly enjoys one last year of freedom before kindergarten. Bruce and Adrian rejoin <strong>Iron Maiden</strong>, and <strong>Madonna</strong>’s <em>Ray of Light</em> celebrates its first birthday. In the background, death metal mutates. Brutality proliferates; <strong>Suffocation</strong> has disbanded (for now), but <strong>Cryptopsy</strong>, <strong>Dying Fetus</strong>, <strong>Nile</strong>, and <strong>Deeds of Flesh</strong> have hit the scene. Technicality flourishes, as <strong>Necrophagist</strong> and <strong>Decapitated</strong> prepare to release superhuman debuts. <strong>Gorguts</strong>’ <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/yer-metal-is-olde-gorguts-obscura/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"><em>Obscura</em></a> has ushered in a decades-long march toward dissonance. <strong>Death</strong> has proggified death metal forever, releasing their <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/yer-metal-is-olde-death-the-sound-of-perseverance/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">swansong</a> a few months prior. <strong>Opeth</strong> is doing <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/yer-metal-is-olde-opeth-still-life/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"><strong>Opeth</strong> stuff</a>. Meanwhile, vintage death metal is not dead, but it sputters. Titans like <strong>Morbid Angel</strong> and <strong>Deicide</strong> have already released their most <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/yer-metal-is-olde-morbid-angel-covenant/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">iconic works</a>; indeed, few of the old guard (save <strong>Immolation</strong> and perhaps <strong>Cannibal Corpse</strong>​​) have excellent studio albums in their future.</p><p>Amidst this turmoil, Florida’s <strong>Monstrosity</strong> hangs by a thread. After releasing a stellar sophomore record <em>Millennium</em> in 1996, the band lost both its vocalist (Corpsegrinder, poached by <strong>Cannibal Corpse</strong>) and its guitarist. After replacing them and experiencing another round of guitarist turnover,<a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/yer-metal-is-olde-monstrosity-in-dark-purity/#fn-208589-1" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">1</a> <strong>Monstrosity</strong> trudges to the studio and records <em>In Dark Purity</em>. Against all odds, the album is an icon. More polished than <em>Millennium</em>, <em>In Dark Purity</em> builds on the ABC’s of death metal without mimicking its ancestors. Unlike the truly experimental artists of their era, <strong>Monstrosity</strong> trounces the listener with chunky mid-paced riffs. On face, their guitar-centric attack may seem akin to the likes of <strong>Cannibal Corpse</strong>, but <strong>Monstrosity</strong> innovates around the edges. Ever-evolving rhythms keep your neck on its toes, off-kilter melodies add character, and the tempo ranges from <strong>Autopsy</strong> to <em>Deicide</em>. Both thrilling and unmistakable, <em>In Dark Purity</em> outshines most of death metal’s classics.</p><p><em>In Dark Purity</em>’s most enduring feature is its creativity. Tinged with <strong>Death</strong>, the album’s nonstandard rhythms induce delicious whiplash and break free of genre shackles (“In Dark Purity”). While Lee Harrison’s drums aren’t flashy, they spring to life in support. The most potent example is “Perpetual War,” whose fluid drum performance and furious riffs make it one of the greatest tracks of the 1990s. Not to be outdone, <strong>Monstrosity</strong>’s melodies embrace subtle strangeness as well. Channeling <strong>Slayer</strong>’s <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/slayer-worst-to-first-8-5/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"><em>Hell Awaits</em></a>, <strong>Monstrosity</strong>’s accidentals and hopscotching riffs stand out among the overcrowded Florida swamps (“Hymns of Tragedy”). While Kelly Conlon’s (<strong>Death</strong>) bass presence is subtle, he bubbles to the surface with some delectably wonky backbone melodies (“Shapeless Domination”). For all their creativity, <strong>Monstrosity</strong> never innovates for innovation’s sake; rather, <em>In Dark Purity</em>’s power grows with each quirk. The flailing solo of “Shapeless Domination” wouldn’t hit as hard without Harrison’s wild tom fills or its truncated measures, and the most neck-snapping segments of “Perpetual War” are its nine-beat extravaganzas. <strong>Monstrosity</strong>’s take on death metal stands apart.</p><p></p><p>Fear not; <em>In Dark Purity</em> is brainy, but it’s a bonanza of bangers. The album’s most well-known track is “Destroying Divinity,” whose explosive main theme kicks off the proceedings with a bang. <em>In Dark Purity</em> shines brightest during its climaxes, which are often dumb fun. For instance, “Suffering to the Conquered” uses a tranquil Azagthothian solo to lead into a three-chord riff that rocks me every time. Jason Avery’s fearsome growls raise these moments into the thermosphere, and “The legions gather // They form behind their king // Suffering to the conquered // Left dead for all to see // Pray for the impaler” raises the bar for the genre. At times, <em>In Dark Purity</em>’s brain and its heart join hands, like the pummeling crescendos of “The Angels [sic] Venom.” From its simple firestorms to its adventurous compositions, <em>In Dark Purity</em> is a spectacle.</p><p>Having reached the age-old crossroads between thoughtful songwriting and sick riffs, <strong>Monstrosity</strong> chose both. In doing so, they forged an album that’s both immediate and timeless. <em>In Dark Purity</em> was one of the first death metal records to capture my heart in my mid-teens. In the years since, as I’ve felt out its nooks and crannies, my love has only grown. Most impressively, <strong>Monstrosity</strong> is still alive and well, with 2018’s <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/monstrosity-the-passage-of-existence-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"><em>The Passage of Existence</em></a> breaking our very own score counter. And their 2 AM set aboard 70K last January was likely the greatest death metal show I’ve ever experienced. Whether you’re a long-time <strong>Monstrosity</strong> fan or a newcomer, you owe <em>In Dark Purity</em> a spin.</p> <p></p><p><a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/1999/" target="_blank">#1999</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/2024/" target="_blank">#2024</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/american-metal/" target="_blank">#AmericanMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/cannibal-corpse/" target="_blank">#CannibalCorpse</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/death-metal/" target="_blank">#DeathMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/in-dark-purity/" target="_blank">#InDarkPurity</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/monstrosity/" target="_blank">#Monstrosity</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/olympic-recordings/" target="_blank">#OlympicRecordings</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/slayer/" target="_blank">#Slayer</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/yer-metal-is-olde/" target="_blank">#YerMetalIsOlde</a></p>