Let me start off by saying this- Illud Divinum Insanus was not by any means a well-received record but I definitely didn't hate it by any stretch. It had some moments where I cringed a little, but by and large I'd say the record is worth owning. Bassist and vocalist for Morbid Angel David Vincent feels the same way and even thinks people are finally warming up to the record, according to an interview he did with AndrewHaug.com.
"It's pretty interesting, looking back over a year later now, and a number of people said, 'You know, I've listened to it a little more,' and because it wasn't what they absolutely expected… Which is another very good reason to do something, to keep the artistic integrity as pure as possible. But Morbid Angel has always been a band that been all-encompassing. And when people, sort of, think that they know what we should sound like… I don't think anybody knows what we should sound like more than we do. It's not like it's that big a departure, because on the Covenant record, we did some collaborations with the Slovenian band Laibach for that record. So it's not like it's a big change for us to work with some electronic artists and to do some interesting things, in and amongst everything else that we do. So I'm pleased that people have come around to it."
I disagree with the defense in that fans should be used to the sound because there were other records that used electronica-based elements on it. While they did, it was definitely not to the extent of Illud Divinum Insanus, so justifying it like that is a little weird. I think when it comes down to it, it was an experimental record that dived fans much like Opeth's Heritage did or The Faceless' Autotheism did- artists don't need to explain themselves because fans didn't like an album's direction.
All of that aside, I think Morbid Angel are back in the heavy state of mind. They just got off playing Covenant in its entirety for a tour, they've been told by their Covenant-era producer he would get back in the studio with the band and they might be on Summer Slaughter. Maybe 2014 will see a new Morbid Angel record? All signs point in different directions.
[via Blabbermouth]
