Here’s another album I’ve had a hard time reviewing. Not because it’s so good or so bad, but simply because it just kind of is. I get nothing from it. IRONY OF CHRIST hail from the United Kingdom and “The God Delusion” is their third self-released title. They play Death Metal with a few melodic tendencies, some minor progressive flourishes, and the occasional blackened touch, yet they really do nothing for me. I’ll still try my best to give you an accurate album description, but can’t promise that I’ll enjoy it.

IRONY OF CHRIST’s melodic sensibilities are intriguing, as they borrow from the 90s Floridian scene, most notably MORBID ANGEL. The occasional use of ambience and slowed down, softer (for lack of a better word) sections help the album to breathe and add a touch of extra dark aura to already pitch black release. There’s no sunshine on “The God Delusion”. Sacha Darwin’s vocals rotate between a raspy yell/scream and deep, guttural roar, always staying within the confines of the Death Metal genre, and sometimes bringing to mind HYPOCRISY’s Peter Tagtgren. The rest of the band is talented enough, but not anything above what we’ve all heard before, and the production is but murky, but atmospherically fitting.

So there you have it. IRONY OF CHRIST play Death Metal with a few extra bells and whistles. It doesn’t move me, but neither does the genre as a whole, so if you’re inclined towards the style, “The God Delusion” may be a better fit for you than it was for me.

(Online November 6, 2007)