The best Grindcore in a long time? The best Death Metal in a long time? The best hardcore in a long time? The best doom in a long time? What do you call this? I don't know, how about the best CD in a long time? THAT's IT. Oh, and do you like noise? Well it's done really well here too. Could there be any more sounds this CD has to offer? Well, did I mention groove/funk? No? Just listen to "Stephen Hawking Walked Away". It's known that bands hate to be classified, but Frank's Enemy is one of the very few bands that can honestly not be. This CD defies classification. I dare you to try it. From the opening song "I Think" with its haunting sounds of distortion and depravation of the vocals to the full on grind assault of songs like "Human Reich" & "Torturer" then they pull out some of the finest hardcore efforts with "Imbecile Factory".
Lyrically this is one of the most diverse albums to cut across the grain of the Christian music world as well. Some songs come right out and tell what most Christians feel inside but are afraid to admit to. Take for example these excerpts from "I Think":
i've been told where i'm going
but i still get scared sometimes
remembering the past that didn't last
and how i died sometimes
i've been told the right things
it's hard to do them anyway
Then Frank's Enemy rips into some brutal Death Metal lyrics on several songs such as "Cannibalized" & "Cauldron" until they get down to business in "In Answer" where they lay it on the line, the price Jesus paid, and what it was for.
Once in awhile an album comes along that just completely takes you by storm. Neoblasphemies did that to me. With songs as variant as these both musically and lyrically my interest is held with complete satisfaction from inception to termination, which is the albums only flaw. With a full 11 songs this appears to be an album that you can't complain about, but I guess it's due to the speed these guys play, the album is under 40 minutes long. The end of the CD comes far too soon for my tastes. Or maybe it's because I like this music just way too much.
In any case buy this album! I don't care what type of music you like you will find something here for you. I would love to end this with a comparison of Frank's Enemy to some popular secular bands, but the truth is there is no 1 or 2 secular bands that sound similar to FE. Rather I'd have to start a list of probably 15-20 bands ranging from Cannibal Corpse to Helmet. That just wouldn't do.
9.5/10
Other Staff Member Ratings
Scum: 3/10
Much: 7/10
Fletch: 8.5/10
Other coverage for this album
Garlic Press #6Reviewed by tedcoreMaybe you caught our interview with Julio Rey in Garlic #3 where he told us all about this CD, well now we have it beginning with a beautiful gtr ballad. Then you hit track 2: grindcore in the truest sense of the word. The best way to describe this song or album for that matter would be to somehow mix Disrupt with Slayer & Earth Crisis and occasionally throw in a little Minor Threat. As with FE's…Critical Mass #2Reviewed by Tom EdmondsonThis album and this band have a real polemical style reminiscent of the Old Testament prophets. First is the name which is a stab at Frank Zappa who claimed that Christians were his enemies. Secondly, the subject matter of many of the songs on this disc take issue with many things that are at odds with Christianity. Most noticeable is the song "Stephen Hawking Walked Away". (Hawking is the…The Phantom Tollbooth 1996Reviewed by Josh SpencerDon't buy this unless you have to have every Christian death metal album. Very fast, sloppy death metal with some hardcore vocals and slowed down doom metal thrown in on occasion. Below-average production (but much better than previous Frank's Enemy albums). 1.5 tocksDead Zine 1996Reviewed by CeebIf you are a fan of extremely strange music with a lot of sound effects and noises then you will sincerely love FE. Based in Florida, this band's type of explosive death metal-grind, mixed with just flat out groove will satisfy most types of music. The production of this album is very good, with the cover and inside of the C.D. case looking very professional, and not cheap. The songs that stick…Similar sounding releases
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