Hypocrisy

A rough-cut gem of brutal simplicity, End of Disclosure is the "back to basics" Swedish death metal effort Hypocrisy's main man claims he was aiming for. The veterans' latest has no diversions from the main agenda, no wasted time or space. Although the synths on the chorus of the title track might have been left over from Pain (Peter Tägtgren's "poppier" project), the rest of the album rolls out more like a highlight reel of Hypocrisy's specialties. Most of the tracks are mid-paced, with enough variation to maintain a touch of unpredictability. The first half is generally more upbeat, with "Tales of Thy Spineless" and the anthemic "United We Fall" offering the most vicious pounding. But after the relatively chipper "44 Double Zero," things take a dive towards the oppressively (and delightfully) doomy ("Hell Is Where I Stay"), with even a touch of sentimentality laced into "Soldier of Fortune." Some of the faster tracks feature Tägtgren's throat-scraping gargle, but his vocals more often favour his deeper growl, matching the slower paces and the thick rumbling and chugging of bass, kick drums and rhythm guitar. Other typical Hypocrisy contrasts are featured as well, like the usual tight, tense harmonies and jagged rhythms breaking into, and out of, melodic leads and catchy riffs. Conceptually, End of Disclosure revels in pessimistic visions of humanity's destruction and tales of the deceptive manipulations conspiracy theorists zealously denounce. It's pretty much the fantastical (or not?) devastation Hypocrisy have spent the last 20 years or so training us to expect.