Atrocity Hallucinations

Atrocity 'Hallucinations' (Nuclear Blast, 1990)

Ooops, either dyslexic elves have been at work or I am unable to be a proper record nerd. Either way the next couple of entries are out of alphabetical order. As Johnny Hall used to say; 'What an embo!'.

When metal legend Fatty visited from Arizona a couple of years ago I was taken aback when he made a bee line straight to this LP and proclaimed; 'Man, I cannot believe you have this record, it is so KILLER!'. Apparently this had been a regular on his Saginaw deathdeck and had been missed for many years. Boasting Fatty's seal of approval, the still shrink wrapped, H. R. Giger covered disc saw the light of day for the first time for at least a decade. We were pretty out of it when it was on, but I remember nodding in agreement with my dreadlocked friend's enthusiastic commentary and spasmodic headbanging.

What surprised me most was the fact that, when I returned from work the next day, the record was still on rotation and still receiving adulation from the habitual Guinness guzzler. I was still unconvinced and, given the fact that I haven't listened to it since his visit, in 2006, I suppose I still am.

Atrocity are a strange and peculiarly German band that could only really come from the land where metal , in all its bizarre and twisted forms, has always been a true force. They are the type of band who can be almost headline the Wacken festival playing only cover versions of 80's pop hits. They are also the type of band who can have an equally, if not more, successful goth/symphonic side project, Leaves Eyes, whose female vocalist is the wife of founding member and vocalist of Atrocity, Alexander Krull. Only in Germany, or maybe Finland. Yeah, probably Finland.

I was actually quite upset to remove the LP's shrink wrapping for this entry, it seemed wrong and slightly improper, but it had peeled in such a way that the title was totally obscured. I remember quite clearly buying this record in 1991 from HMV at the west end of Princes Street. By that time HMV was a very last resort due to its high prices, but this was in their clearance section, even at that time, and I'm sure it only set me back £3.99. Let's see if it was worth it.

'Hallucinations' is a death metal concept album about abuse and addiction. It's very explicit lyrically, in the way only non-native English speakers can be. There is no doubt you are in for a pretty bleak roller coaster ride by the time the first verse of opener 'Deep in Your Subconscious' is finished. The vocals are off kilter and delivered in such a way that singing along would be an impossibility, not that you'd want to given the subject matter; abuse leads to depression which leads to social anxiety which leads to soft drugs, then hard drugs, then prostitution.....well, I won't ruin the end for you.

The music is a perfect accompaniment to this endless spiral of decline, twisting and turning in a very Morbid Angel manner. Imagine Death's 'Human' line up playing 'Blessed are the Sick' minus the grooves. There are definite elements of Atheist here and there in some of the funky bass breaks, but it's far more brutal and much more technical, particularly the stellar drum performance by Michael Schwarz.

'Hallucinations' gains points for actually giving you that slightly queasy sea sick feeling you might get just before the giggles start. It's certainly a trip. It's also got a perfect Scott Burns/Morrisound production which enhances the madness. It's like being on the waltzers with some tracksuited radge screaming death metal in your ear whilst on mushrooms.

Still not my favourite album, but certainly worth investigating. Fatty, you're a sick man!

Peace