HERRATIK: Wrath-Divine

Produced by Astennu

Released: 2006

After five years working under the name Abortus, under which they issued two albums, this Sydney band changed its name to Herratik in mid-2003. Wrath-Divine was recorded in October 2004, but saw release only in mid-2006 through British label Copro. The album sees Herratik taking up precisely where they had left off with Process of Elimination, with a furious barrage of blasting, thrashing death metal. Production-wise, this is something of an improvement on the abominable sound of that previous release; Wrath-Divine retains the band’s signature sound but producer Astennu’s experienced hand has given it considerably more definition.

Herratik’s attack is a truly ferocious noise built on raw and ridiculously overdriven, distorted guitars that takes its cues from underground European extremists like good friends Mystic Circle, whose former drummer Necrodemon provided the beats for Wrath-Divine. The album then is pretty relentless, bludgeoning the listener with a mixture of crushing guitar volume and speed virtually from the outset.

“I, Heretic” and “Dance on Your Grave” are quite sturdy openers, raging, furious and loud. As strongly as the album begins though, Wrath-Divine is ultimately let down by a distinct lack of ideas and variety. By track six the songs have become less and less distinguishable from one another and there’s a marked lack of real diversity beyond the blitzkrieg-like pace and delivery. Coupled with that is the feeling that almost every song seems at least a minute too long, with a lot of verbose but over-repetitive lyrics, as if they didn't know how to bring things to an end.

With four Abortus-era tracks tacked on to the end, Wrath-Divine runs for an exhausting sixty-four minutes, which is far too long for almost any album and certainly one as samey-sounding as this.

1. Intro - The Holy Plan
2. I, Heretic
3. Dance on Your Grave
4. Above Your Lies
5. New Gods
6. Wrath-Divine
7. X
8. Forget Me Father
9. New Era
10. Forked Tongue
11. Take You Down
12. Sadist-fy
13. Process of Elimination
14. Re-pray

Rating: 50%